Akari of the Orange Planet
by Shareon
Summary: Akari Mizunashi had always dreamed of being an Undine on the enchanting planet of Aqua. One day she took a chance to pursue her dreams with a company she had never heard of before, a company called Orange Planet. This is the story of an extraordinary girl in an ordinary company.
1. 1: That Heart-Pounding Move…

Title: Akari of the Orange Planet

Author: Shareon

Summary: Akari Mizunashi had always dreamed of being an Undine on the enchanting planet of Aqua. One day she took a chance to pursue her dreams with a company she had never heard of before, a company called Orange Planet. This is the story of an extraordinary girl in an ordinary company.

* * *

Chapter 1: That Heart-Pounding Move...

It was ironic. It was inevitable. It was many things.

Akari Mizunashi. My name. Literally "a light without water." That might have been why I had always been so interested in Aqua, the planet of water.

Aqua. A new name for a new world. Once it had been known as Mars. It was still the same planet it had been for centuries upon eons, but years of terraforming had changed it to be something incredible. It had once been sterile and only noted for its particular shade of orange and how it would float back and forth across the sky on Earth. All that had changed since the colonization of Mars had begun. It was now every bit as lush and blue as Manhome itself was.

Manhome. Another new name, this for what had formerly been known as Earth. Once people had started colonizing Aqua it felt only right that the first home of humanity should be appropriately renamed. It was the first home of one Akari Mizunashi as well. I had been born on Manhome and had spent my childhood growing up there.

In many ways life on Manhome was perfect. The weather scheduled months in advance to facilitate planning for both holiday trips as well as for industrial shipping. Everything I could want was at the touch of a finger. I could go for days, weeks, maybe even my entirely life without ever leaving the comfort of my home. In many senses of the word it was an absolute paradise.

But like the settlers from history, I found myself staring at the cement surrounding me and dreaming of something bigger, and grander, and more... something. I dreamed of a world which was a bit less perfect and a bit more magical.

As for what I wanted to do, I'm not sure where that had begun. It could have even been as far back as when my parents had given me my name. Maybe they had somehow felt my yearning for water even back then and had named me appropriately. All I know is that for as long as I can remember there was only one thing I had ever longed to do. I wanted to be a gondolier. It was an odd dream. While my friends were dreaming of being princesses, or ninjas, or robots, I instead wanted to navigate boats. I imagined myself rowing through the canals of Venice centuries past with the romantic buildings all around me and waves gently rocking underneath my feet.

It was a dream which was only slightly less unrealistic than theirs. Venice was gone, sunk beneath the ocean's surface. There were no more gondoliers on Manhome. Despite that, though, I still dreamed of being a gondolier. However it was still actually possible to become one. Undines were still thriving on Aqua, and there was my chance.

Undine. The name carried so much meaning. It meant so much more than the old term of "gondolier," as the people who had rowed gondolas back in Venice had been called. This was before Venice had disappeared and then raised once again on Mars. It was Neo Venezia now, on the planet of Aqua. A new name. A new city. A new planet.

A historian would compare an Undine to a gondolier, but it wasn't really fair to do so. Comparing an Undine to a gondolier was like comparing the real thing to the simulators in which I had spent hours upon years practicing while I dreamed of dancing along real waves, actual sunlight streaming from above, genuine wind blowing through my hair, and having everyday magical encounters which would last the lifetime with each and every tourist.

The simulator on Manhome were good. Very good. Indistinguishable from the real thing. Not that I had ever experienced the real thing, but it was exactly how I expected being a real Undine would be. Only the artificially-lit ceiling wasn't sunlight, the fans weren't wind, the unending flow of water wasn't the ocean, and there weren't any visitors to encounter with which I could share the wonders of the world.

That was why I had sent that application to Orange Planet. I can't remember where I had heard the name. It was probably from a friend talking about a vacation she had had on Aqua. It was easy to find the company, though. It sounded perfect. They were a relatively new company but were growing quickly. If anybody would hire an unknown girl from Manhome, it would be them.

I sent the application in on a whim. No. I knew I had to send an application at some point. It was a whim that I had sent it that day. What did I have to lose?

After that I wasn't sure what to expect.

The reply came the next day. I was hired on a trial basis. I was so ecstatic with that news that I couldn't pay attention enough to read the rest of the letter. It just kind of blurred together. I had to read it three times before it sunk in and I learned whom I was supposed to contact once I had everything arranged and was ready to go.

I knew it. This was destiny.

Arranging the trip to Aqua was easy, especially to Neo Venezia. It was a popular tourist location. The city had been modeled after the lost city of Venice. In fact, some of the most memorable locations from Venice had been shipped, brick by brick and stone by stone, to Neo Venezia and painstakingly recreated there. It wasn't identical to Venice. How could a living city ever be identical to a snapshot of history? But it was even better. It was real.

There were daily shuttles which ferried people from Manhome to Neo Venezia and back. Multiple ones. I didn't even bother checking around. I bought a ticket with Solar Navigation Lines. It was the first one I saw. After double-checking the flight schedule I sent my itinerary to Orange Planet. Everything was set. My rendezvous with destiny was upon me.

* * *

The spaceport was a perfect send-off from my life on Manhome. It was spacious and inviting. While there was certainly industry happening all around me, as seen by the countless shuttles entering and leaving, the spaceport managed to combine that with a welcoming ambiance and bright decor. It had the same precise mechanical efficiency that everything on Manhome did.

I didn't even stop to think about it. I was on my way to Aqua to fulfill my life's dream of becoming an Undine.

It was easy to make my way from the plane I had arrived in to the interplanetary shuttle. There were signs everywhere which helpfully pointed out the most direct way to get wherever I might want to go. Additionally numerous staff members were in sight and stood ready to provide assistance as needed. Despite the multitude of terminals it was literally impossible to accidentally get lost. It was in line with what could be expected of Manhome. Quiet efficiency perfected from decades of practice.

When I reached the shuttle I was greeted by two women standing at the gate. They gave a formal, polite greeting for customers. Exactly according to expectations. Exactly according to normal.

I gave a cheerful greeting back. I was on the road to fulfill my life's dream and nothing could go wrong. The woman on the left, a bit older than the one on the right, was slightly taken aback but returned the greeting. It was the last I saw of them. I wondered if they would ever think of me again. Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn't. I was sure I would remember the pair of them and the small part they had played in my moving to Aqua for the rest of my life.

As a child I had occasionally been on a plane so I knew a little of what to expect in flying, but I had never been off-planet before so I wasn't exactly sure what would happen. It was the little things which made all the difference. The announcement from the pilot was a bit different, describing the phases of the trip and what we should expect to experience. The luxurious seat beneath me was a bit different than the stiffer and more utilitarian ones on the plane. The liftoff into the air was a bit different, missing the fear of power that an airplane takeoff had. It was the small nuances which made the ordinary extraordinary.

I barely noticed the moment when we reached space. I had somewhat expected for the two long drapes of hair I had hanging along the sides of my face to start floating around like shown in children's picture-books describing micro-gravity environments. They did not, though. They persistently kept to the sides of my face, continuing to frame it like two drawn curtains.

The only reason I had even known that we had reached space was the casual announcement by the captain of the ship that we had left Manhome's atmosphere. There was no abrupt change to signal the transition. There was no jarring switch to artificial gravity. The trip had started smooth and stayed smooth throughout. Everything felt very still, like we were not moving at all. No rush of air surrounded the craft. The engines had a dull thrum which was much more quiet than I had expected as well. The trip was near silent, ignoring the people inside. The large space between each chair encouraged the passengers to stay silent as well. The woman to my left gazed distractedly outside the window, and the man behind me was reading a newspaper. Just like on Manhome.

It was enough to lull me into the quiet place between sleep and wakefulness. I hadn't slept much the previous night. The excitement for my upcoming move had ensured that I could never quite relax enough. I kept waking up at odd hours. I wanted to be sure I didn't miss my plane, never mind it had been scheduled for the afternoon. On the plane itself I could sleep at all either. The excitement of my move saw to that.

Now, surrounded by a cocoon of passivity, I felt my eyes drooping a bit. Paradoxically, now that I was about to arrive, it had all caught up to me. I had been nervous leading up to this point, and I was more nervous now, but even so I couldn't quite keep my eyes fully open.

I took the opportunity to pull open my computer and double-check what was to happen. When I arrived, somebody from Orange Planet was to pick me up from Marco Polo Universal Port. They would be in uniform and would recognize me by the photograph I had sent earlier. They would then bring me to Orange Planet where I would be registered and processed.

Additionally I took the opportunity afforded by my open computer to write some notes about my trip thus far. I was sure one day I would look back to this trip as the turning point of my life. Or rather as one of the turning point of my life. It would be one of countless others, many of which I had already had and many more of which were still to come.

"Thank you for traveling with Solar Navigation Lines. This is the Tokyo to Neo Venezia line. We are about to enter Aqua's environment," the captain's voice announced. It was routine. It was professional, but it lacked any particular flair of personality behind it. He and the rest of the crew were just doing their daily job with all of the professionally trained and practiced efficiency one would expect of a world-class company on Manhome. They went about their day, not knowing they were changing the life of at least one young woman and who knew how many more people sitting around me?

Would I ever be like that, just doing an Undine's job and not realizing the wonder of it all?

Never.

I just didn't see how it was possible. Undines were so prominent a feature of a tourist's trip to Neo Venezia. They were the face of the city, and they represented all of the best aspects of it. I didn't see how it was possible for me to be one and not notice every encounter and the magic that it contained. Maybe that was what drew me away from Manhome and towards Aqua.

"Attention passengers," the captain announced again, just after I had closed my computer. "The ship has just cleared the ionosphere. Before landing, please take a moment to enjoy the view."

With that, the walls around the ship seemed to vanish.

I was still in my chair, but at the same time I was flying through the sky.

The first thing I noticed were the seagulls flying in formation next to me. They were so close. I felt like I could reach out and touch them. They held my attention for a moment before the grandeur of the view below captured my imagination.

I could see Neo Venezia in all its glory directly below me. The bright blue ocean expanded as far as I could see, looking both like a vast field as well as like the canvas upon which Neo Venezia had been painted. The buildings stood decisive in the ocean of blue, picturesque in their antiquity even from this height. There were occasional bridges visible too, connecting the different islands of the city and standing proudly as another part of Aqua's heritage. There was a large port below filled with tiny dots. They had to be the iconic boats which formed the primary means of transportation in Neo Venezia. I thought I could imagine seeing the white uniforms of some Undines out on the water. Were they there, changing the lives of a group of tourists or the other people of the city? I was sure they were.

There were hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people going about their lives below me. Each person was doing his or her own thing, a small cluster connected to a larger web, in turn connected to the network which made up the city of Neo Venezia.

Forget being tired. It all washed away into the blue which surrounded me. It was like waking up for the first time. My life on Manhome felt like a dream away, washed away by the bright sunlight I was swimming through. Washed away by the majestic scenery I was flying towards. It was like being alive, and I couldn't wait to be a part of it.

I couldn't remember landing, or my rushing out of the spaceship. The next thing I knew I was running. Running into the breeze. Running to increase the feeling of the cool spring air against my skin. Running into the sunlight I had just flown through. Running to the new world in front of me. Running to my new life. Running because it felt so right. Running just to run.

And I escaped through a tall stone archway and met the ocean-side.

Neo Venezia.

The brisk breeze blew freely. The fresh air felt good against my skin. I could almost taste the ocean mist. It was crisp and vibrant, not at all like the stifling humidity of an indoor swimming pool. I only stopped when I reached the stone railway on the edge of the platform which protected people from randomly falling off. Even then I still leaned over it as far as I could and looked down below. The water there looked so clean and so pure. I could easily see to the bottom. It looked like it was only centimeters deep, and I could count each individual stone below. The sight took my breath away.

Although I had never been here before I was still swept away by the feelings of the place. The majestic bridges standing proudly above the canals below. The numerous docks both large and small which led into the canals and the ocean surrounding me. The enormous spaceships taking off and landing at Marco Polo Universal Port. The colossal floating islands flying high above, tied to the ground down below by commensurately huge lines. It felt like I was returning home for the first time, even though I had no idea where I was. And that was when it struck me.

I had no idea where I was.

My first instinct was to look around for some signs or members of staff. Unlike on Manhome, there was no indication of where I was or anybody who looked liked they were on duty. Instead on this side of the large canal there were several tourists. I doubted any of them would be able to help. On the other side of the canal there were handfuls of people who looked more like natives of Neo Venezia. Many of them were on boats as they floated around on the canal and the port nearby, proceeding with whatever their particular business happened to be. They were slowly going about their lives, untouched by the perpetual hustle and bustle so prevalent on Manhome.

Rather than worry about it I simply paused to take a deep breath. I basked in the fresh air and the perfect spring day. The atmosphere of Neo Venezia was absolutely intoxicating.

A rough rustling against my arm made itself known.

I looked down and saw a large, tubby, white cat licking my arm. He looked up to match my stare. Around his neck was a large blue ribbon which was just a shade lighter than his large aquamarine eyes. The presence of the high quality ribbon convinced me that he wasn't a stray.

The first person I met in Neo Venezia wasn't even a person.

"Hahii... A Mars cat. It's the first time I've seen one," I said as much to the cat as to myself. "I'm Akari Mizunashi. I just moved here from Manhome. Are you waiting for somebody here?"

"Punya nya-nya punya," the cat meowed at me. He kind of meowed. He didn't exactly sound like any cat I had ever encountered on Manhome, which made perfect sense to me. I wasn't on Manhome anymore.

"I see." I turned around to sit on the railing and stared back at the impressive stone facade I had just left. "I'm waiting for somebody too. The letter said that they'd find me at the spaceport. I hope they can find me here."

A stomach growled. That reminded me. I hadn't had lunch yet. But I didn't feel very hungry. My excitement saw to that. Despite that, my stomach growled again.

No, that wasn't right. It wasn't my stomach. I turned, and both saw and heard the cat's large stomach giving a third growl.

"I see. You must be hungry, Punya-san. Do you want to share my lunch?"

"Punya-nya," Punya meowed back. He nodded his head too. It was enough to make me wonder if the cat might actually understand me.

"Okay."

I pulled open my backpack and reached into it for my thermos and sandwich.

"Akari?" a voice called out. "Akari Mizunashi?"

"Hahii," I stammered out.

I looked up, my hand still in my backpack, and saw the girl who had called out to me.

She wore a white dress with a white shirt on top of it. Her entire outfit was white with strong yellow accents, from the yellow necktie, to the yellow line and circle drawn down the center of her dress, to the white and yellow boots she wore, to the white and yellow glove she wore. Her white hat with yellow trim completed her look. On both her hat as well as on her left sleeve I saw the emblem of a black triangle with a yellow dot which served as the company symbol of Orange Planet. She also had a sheet of paper which she held up in such a way that she could flick her eyes between it and me.

"Whew. I was looking everywhere for you. I'm Anna Yamada, from Orange Planet," the girl introduced herself.

"Anna-senpai," I answered, jumping to my feet. I bowed to her and said, "Please take good care of me."

"Uhh... nice to meet you," she answered back.

"Sorry, Punya-san. My ride is here. I hope the person you are waiting for shows up soon," I apologized to Punya. Then the thought struck me. "Ah... Here..."

I finished rummaging around in my backpack and fished out my sandwich. I unwrapped it, and handed it to Punya.

"Punya. Punya-nya nya-nya-nya," Punya answered back, grabbing at the sandwich.

"Come on. I need to get you back to Orange Planet," Anna hastened to say.

"Hahii. Sorry," I said. I closed up my backpack and hurried after the small girl, leaving Punya and my sandwich behind.

Anna led me to a nearby dock, and to the wooden gondola moored there. It wasn't painted a majestic white with golden trim like the Undine gondolas from my imagination. It was a simple wooden boat painted black. The only decorative feature was the tall ferro at the front of the boat.

As Anna untied the boat I went ahead and jumped in. I couldn't contain my excitement. The jump caused the boat to tip and rock.

"Hey!" Anna complained as she wildly swung her body and her oar back and forth, trying to regain the balance of the tipping boat.

Once the boat had mostly stabilized and was no longer in imminent danger of throwing its two riders into the water, Anna bit out, "What do you think you're doing? Idiot."

"Eheheh... Sorry," I apologized.

"Sit down. You're going to make us capsize. I know you're from Manhome and all, but isn't that common sense?" Anna commanded.

Rather than risk making her more angry, I stepped back from the edge of the boat and took a seat in the middle. And with that, Anna kicked off from the dock and started rowing away.

The lethargic open-air trip was very different than any kind of transportation on Manhome, where everything was all about getting from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. The gentle lapping of the waves against the gondola was relaxing, and the rhythmic splash of the oar in the water was nothing like the roar of the engines back on Manhome.

"Everybody really does use gondolas for work, don't they?" I asked.

There were gondolas all around me. A policeman stood on a gondola to direct traffic. A man was loading several bags onto a gondola while another man held it firm against a sidewalk. A woman was eating lunch from a gondola which served as a shop floating on the water. A mailman rowed along the canal in a gondola, picking up letters and dumping them into a mailbag.

"You should get used to it. Things here aren't at all like they are on Manhome. They can travel hundreds of millions of kilometers to get from Manhome to Aqua, but they can't figure out how to install any roads here. It's really annoying, isn't it?" Anna said. Her face showed her annoyance as much as her words and her voice did.

"Not at all. I think I like it here more," I said. I wasn't sure why. Everything on Manhome was much easier. "Maybe people weren't meant for life to be that convenient."

"You're a weird girl. Everybody I know is trying to move from Aqua to Manhome," Anna said.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Gondola passing through!" Anna shouted as we neared an intersection in the canal. Her voice echoed against the brick buildings around us.

"Gondola passing through!" a different voice echoed back. There emerged another gondola. It was also black and had two girls as well, one rowing and the other one sitting. They both wore the uniform of Orange Planet.

"Anna-chan! What are you doing with a customer on your own? That's not allowed for Singles!" the rowing girl said. She was decisively older than Anna, possibly in her early 20s. She could have been even older than that. I couldn't really tell.

"She's not a customer, she's a new-hire. They told me to pick her up from Marco Polo Universal Port," Anna answered.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Akari Mizunashi," I introduced myself. I stood up to bow, but a bobble from the boat plus the recent reminder had me back in my seat before I had stood up too far.

The passenger in the other boat giggled. Her braided brunette hair waggled back and forth as she laughed. Maybe at me, but hopefully just in general. She then said, "You're funny. I'm Alba. Alba Ishikawa. Welcome to Orange Planet."

"Must be from Manhome. I'm Agata Mikami," the rowing girl said. "So Anna-chan, are we still on for 4:00?"

"Maybe. Senpai wanted to talk to me after I got back," Anna answered.

"Okay. Later," Alba said.

"Later," Agata said a moment afterward.

"Later," Anna said back.

Neither of the boats had slowed down as they had talked, so by this point they were shouting to be heard. Anna had fully turned to watch the two other girls as they moved past. I had as well. Once they had left sight, I turned back to Anna and asked her, "What was that she was saying about not carrying passengers?"

"See this?" Anna briefly held the oar in the crook of her elbow while she held up both of her hands.

"Hahii," I said. I did. I thought I did.

"I only have one glove," Anna said. It was true, she only had a glove on right hand while her left hand was bare. I hadn't noticed that at first. "It means I'm a Single. We're not allowed to carry customers without a Prima on board."

"Prima?"

"Primas are fully-fledged Undines."

My look of bewilderment must have shown on my face because Anna shook her head with a sigh. She continued, "There are three levels of Undines. There are Pairs, who are trainees. They wear gloves on both of their hands. Then there are Singles like me, who are part-time Undines. We can use gondolas for practice around Neo Venezia and can take passengers if we have a Prima with us. It's kind of like getting a training permit for driving. Finally there are Primas. They don't wear any gloves, and they are fully qualified Undines."

I had no idea of any of this before. Still it made sense. Undines were the face of Neo Venezia. They wouldn't want completely inexperienced people leading tourists and others around the city. It could give the city a bad name. They would want new Undines to have some time to practice and train before having the responsibility of being a Prima. I wondered if all of my practice on Manhome would help me speed up the process in any way.

A jarring impact brought caused me to snap around and face forward again. While we had been talking the gondola had continued to drift forward until it had collided with a wall in front of us.

Anna swore. She swore rather loudly. She then pushed off with her oar and started rowing again.

"That didn't happen," she said to me knowingly. Not knowing any better, I just nodded my head back in agreement.

The rest of the trip to Orange Planet proceeded quietly. I was too engrossed with looking at the spectacle all around me to think of anything else. Here was a small but ornate garden. There was a statue of a lion. Another statue of a man. Two statues which, when looked at from a specific angle, appeared to be holding hands. A small shrine. An enormous tree.

The trip might have been like the simulators, but it was totally different. I could smell the wind. I could taste the humidity. The buildings lived with a vibrancy and character unfelt in the projections in the simulators on Manhome.

I knew I had made the right choice to come here.

We came to a building which somehow looked different than the others. It took my breath away, for what felt like the hundredth time since coming to Aqua. It was enormous. I wouldn't have been surprised if it could hold thousands of people inside of it. It looked vaguely like a fortress. It had numerous square windows high up in the sky and blocky monolithic gray walls. There were even crenels along the top of the building. Several girls in Orange Planet Undine uniforms wandered around outside, and it had a few canals leading straight through to the middle of the building.

"Is that..."

"Welcome to Orange Planet. We have over a hundred branches around Aqua, but this is the main headquarters," Anna said. We continued on to one of the canals and were now entering into the building.

The canal wasn't wide as such, but it certainly wasn't narrow either. There was plenty of space for two gondolas to pass by each other with ease, as Anna demonstrated twice while she rowed. The high vaulted ceiling gave the passage a large spacious atmosphere.

The bright afternoon sun managed to shine deep into the canal, reflecting off the water with a shimmering effect on the ceiling. It took only moments for my eyes to adjust. Shortly past the entrance there were several docks complete with numerous palinas, the posts used to tie the boats down. A stone rail lined the edge of the walkway, much like at Marco Polo Universal Port. Despite being inside the building there were numerous windows along the walls of the building facing the water, and even a balcony above on what looked like a second floor.

"Wait for me to dock the boat before you try to get off," Anna said.

"Okay," I agreed. It was a good thing she had warned me. In my excitement I was inclined to jump straight off once the gondola was in range.

Anna pulled the boat up to the side of the dock and bumped up against it. She then reached out and hooked a tall palina along the side with her hand. After that she stepped off with one of her feet, leaving the other foot still firmly on the boat.

"Okay. You can get off now."

I stood up and stepped firmly onto dry land.

It was ironic. It was inevitable. It was many things. And in addition to everything else, it was now one more thing.

It was incredible.

I was now home.

* * *

Last Updated: June 2, 2016


	2. 2: That Introduction…

Chapter 2: That Introduction...

I'm not entirely sure what I had expected the life of an Undine to be. Certainly it wasn't like this. Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork.

There was the employment form.

There was the registration form.

There was the equipment form.

There was the insurance form.

There was the residential form.

By the time I reached the scheduling form I had long since lost count of the number of pages I had signed. It felt like there was a policy and an associated form for everything.

This thoroughness also gave me confidence that I had been correct when I had chosen to come to Orange Planet. There were a lot of things to review, but that surely must have meant that they already knew everything to know about being an Undine. Why else would they have so many forms to sign? It meant that I would be able to learn a great deal here. The thought of that made my heart pound with excitement. It was all I could do to read through what I was agreeing to.

After I had finished with Aldo, the man from human resources who was assisting me with onboarding, I was left more or less to my own devices. Anna had disappeared shortly after leading me to Aldo, and I hadn't really met anybody else in the compound. There were numerous people walking around, though. Most of them wore the white and yellow uniforms of an Orange Planet Undine. They were all so busy doing their own thing that I hadn't talked with any of them on the way up. It didn't help that I had been hurrying to follow Anna as she moved through the large building.

Truth be told, I hadn't paid the best of attention to where I had been going while following Anna either. I was a bit lost.

"Umm..." I hesitantly asked Aldo from the door. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"It would probably be a good idea to go pick up your uniforms. You have a map in your Getting Started packet. The commissary is listed there," Aldo suggested. He remained behind his desk. Throughout the entire meeting with him he had never moved out from behind it.

I probably did. I had received a thick stack of papers from Aldo. It included copies of everything I had signed, a copy of the employee manual, and who knew what else?

"Your orientation schedule is in there as well. You start tomorrow morning. Be sure to be in uniform. Besides that, it's up to you. We have a cafeteria if you want to get something to eat," Aldo said.

The prospect of being able to go out on the real Neo Venezian water tomorrow on a real gondola as a real Undine set my heart pounding once again.

"Okay," I said. I found the new freedom almost as exhilarating as the prospects of rowing tomorrow. It was a chance to explore my new home and to find out more about it. My new home of the Orange Planet compound, Neo Venezia around it, and all of Aqua.

I decided I would take Aldo's advice and find a uniform. The downside was that I had no idea where the commissary was. By the time I realized this I had already left Aldo's office. I moved to turn around, but then realized I had also lost track of where his office was. There were numerous corridors laid out in a grid pattern, and each hallway looked identical to the other. Had he been beside the painting of tulips? Or was it the one of the vivid twilight sky? Maybe it was the gorgeous panoramic painting of a city as seen from a vista? I vaguely recalled passing the painting of a gondola next to a tall white lighthouse with red stripes on the way to his office.

The plush orange carpets laid out along each of the long corridors on the light slate tiles did nothing to help guide me on my way. They felt pleasantly springy underneath my feet as I walked, but they also made each corridor appear exactly the same. Come to think of it, that might be why there were so many paintings lining the corridor walls. They broke up the flat beige over wood and looked astounding, but I don't think I had seen the same painting twice thus far. I was sure they would become great landmarks to find my way around once I had actually learned my way around the area.

But that would be for a time in the future. For now, I needed to find out where I was. Aldo had mentioned that the Getting Started packet had listed the commissary and a map as well. It made sense. It was the kind of thing I would have put in a Getting Started packet if I were making one.

I looked around for some place to put down my stack of papers in order to sort through them, but I didn't see any appropriate places in any of the four directions I looked. Bereft of any better ideas I just started wandering around, trying to find an end-table or maybe a chair to place them on. I walked for a while, but by the time I came across that painting of the gondola and the lighthouse for a third time I had to concede what I had already known. I was really truly lost.

Beside me was a large window. Several large windows. I didn't bother to count them, but there must have been dozens of them. Each was identical to the others. The wide expanse of glass ensured the halls were flooded with brightness, both from the sun and from the numerous lights recessed in the hall all around me.

I walked over to the nearest window to get out of the way and resorted to placing my stack of papers onto the ground. I then knelt down beside them and started flipping through them one at a time. As I did so, I couldn't help but notice that several people, mostly Undines, looked at me. However none of them said anything or otherwise approached. I must have been quite the sight.

Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Fl... wait.

I flipped back a page. There it was. The Getting Started packet. It was a folder which contained two booklets, a brochure, a handful of pamphlets, and several papers. It was quite substantial in its own right, let alone as part of the even larger stack of papers I had been carrying.

The first thing I saw inside of the packet was a thin booklet, and just behind that was a glossy piece of paper which had been folded at least twice. That must have been the map. I pulled it out and unfolded it with great expectations.

It was indeed a map, showing Neo Venezia in all its splendor as it surrounded Orange Planet. It was very beautiful, but it was not that helpful for finding out where I was. I put it on the ground next to me for future reference and then went back into the folder.

I flipped through a few other pages of random information and details before I found another glossy sheet. This time I was sure I was right. I pulled it out, unfolded it, and revealed the full grandeur of the Orange Planet complex.

The map detailed the complicated layout of the building and was color coded by floor and region. It had more stairs than I could count. The whole place looked almost like an enchanting maze.

"Umm... Umm..." I muttered to myself, looking around. I had a map, but I still had no idea where I actually was.

I turned to look out a large window next to me. Maybe if I could recognize where that was then I would be able to use that information to figure out where I was inside of the building.

The scene outside the glass was every bit as gorgeous as the numerous paintings which surrounded me. In the distance there was a large tower with vaulted windows near the top. Just to the side of the tower was a floating island which appeared to be moored to the tower by some large cables which streamed down from it. The canals and waterways were clear directly below me, and the layers upon layers of buildings which comprised Neo Venezia spread out as far as I could see.

I looked down at the map of Neo Venezia.

I looked up through the window.

I looked down at the map of Neo Venezia.

I looked up through the window.

"Hahii..."

It was no good. Even with the limited area to search around Orange Planet, I couldn't tell what was what in the map.

There was a simple solution to this.

I looked up. The various curious passersby had stopped watching me, but there were still a couple of people wandering around. They all wore bright white Undine uniforms.

"Umm..." I said, waiving to one of them. I don't think she heard me, though. She continued on her way down the corridor parallel to the window-lined one I was sitting in.

"Excuse me..." I tried again with another two Undines who were walking down the same corridor in which I was sitting. They continued to chat amongst themselves as they walked past me.

I rose to my feet and looked around. There was another girl who was just standing there looking at one of the paintings.

"Excuse me..."

She continued to absently gaze at the painting.

"Sorry..." I said as I approached.

She turned her head and looked at me. She asked, "Were you talking to me?"

"Hahii. I seem to be a bit lost. Do you think you can help?" I asked.

"Sorry. I'm busy," the girl answered.

"It'll just take a second."

"Can't you... Andrea-san!" she greeted abruptly when the door across from her opened. Her face took on a wide, if somewhat artificial looking, smile. Her voice had taken on a much peppier tone as well. Without another word the girl hurried into the room. The door quietly shut behind her.

"Hahii..."

I went back to the window to try again.

"Umm... Excuse me..." I asked.

This time the girl who was passing by me stopped.

"I'm a bit lost. Do you think you can help?"

"Sure, I guess. Where are you trying to go?"

"Umm... I'm new here. I'm trying to get my uniform. Do you think you can show me where I can get it?" I asked. I held out my map to her.

The girl took the map, and then pointed at it with a gloved hand. "The commissary's here, on the first floor. We're up here."

I nodded in understanding.

"You're best bet is to take the stairs here." She pointed elsewhere on the map. "That's that direction, on the left." She pointed across one of the hallways. "When you get down there, it'll be two halls to the left. It's got a big sign. You can't miss it."

"Hahii. Thank you very much."

The girl handed the map back to me. I bowed in thanks as she walked off again.

I continued to hold the map open and double-checked that I understood where I was and where I was going. It was still a bit confusing, but I thought I could manage it. The path looked so easy on the map now that it had been pointed out to me.

Somewhat less easy was the mess which surrounded me. The various papers and accouterments I had sifted through were now strewn all around me. There were no less than three piles of papers scattered on the ground, including the fully unfolded map of Neo Venezia. I set to the task of cleaning up after myself.

The first thing I did was place the map of Orange Planet off to the side. I would need it later. The next thing I tackled was the map of Neo Venezia. It tried to refold it, but it didn't close quite right. I reopened it, turned it a bit, and tried again. It still didn't look right. I unfolded it again, turned it a third time, and tried yet again. While it wasn't as compact as when I had begun, it was close enough that I could make it fit in with the other papers without sticking out too much.

Next I picked up a wayward folder. As I did so a booklet started to slide out from the stack I held. I snatched out my hand to grab for it, which caused another folder in my stack to flop around and slide out. I jerked my hand to try to stop that too, but this had the reverse effect.

"Eh... ehh... eehhhh..." I cried out.

Thump.

I overbalanced and fell over, crashing on top of the various papers and items now once again scattered around the ground.

"Oww..."

A quick look around showed several people all staring at me now. That was embarrassing.

I felt around my head, trying to rub the hurt away. I could imagine a bump growing there. My ginger probing suggested there was probably a red mark on my forehead. I would need to check a mirror later. In the meantime, I scrambled to clean up the mess I had made.

In short order I had everything collected once again. It was much less succinct as compared to when I had first received everything from Aldo, but it was compact enough to carry without too much difficulty. I retrieved the map of Orange Planet last, carrying it on the top of the stack.

Now that I everything more or less in place and ready to move, I looked up again. I experienced an ever so brief moment of panic before I re-recognized where I was, where I was to go, and the suggested path I could take to reach the commissary. Then I set off.

As I walked through the halls of Orange Planet I was once again swept away by the grandeur of the building. It must have been decorated by a master artist. The passion of creation was evident everywhere. From the gilded leaf decorations which lined the lilac-colored tall ceiling to the columns of color along the walls which visually broke up the long hallways. Throughout it all was a strong orange motif, as could be expected for Orange Planet. The walls and floors had oranges of different colors and textures. There was a slight blue motif as well, not only from from the ceiling but from slate tiles which peaked out from the sides of the floor that the edges of carpet left bare.

I descended down two flights of stairs, one with 18 steps and the other with 22. This found me on the first floor of Orange Planet.

"Umm..."

I thought the girl from before had said the second hallway on the left. I stepped forward, turned left, and breathed a sigh of relief. There was a large sign in front of a glass door which marked my destination. The warm sense of accomplishment filled me.

"Goal," I announced to nobody in particular.

I pushed the door open and walked in. I had half expected somebody to welcome me, but nobody did. There was only some man sitting behind the counter. He looked like he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Hello," I said to him.

"What? I mean welcome," he corrected himself. "Say, I don't think I've seen you here before."

"No. I'm new here. Today's my first day," I introduced myself.

"New, huh?" The man looked me up and down with an intense focus. "An Undine, right?"

"Hahii."

"I knew it. I can always tell. And you'll be wanting your uniforms now, right?" He continued to stare at me. I wondered what he was so interested in seeing.

"Hahii." I nodded to him.

"Right. If you just give me your voucher we can get started," the man said. He finally broke his intense examination of me. It was replaced with a more ordinary look of expectation instead.

"Hahii?" Confusion reigned. Voucher? I didn't know anything about a voucher. I started shuffling through the mass of papers I clutched in my hands.

"Come on. Here, give me that," the man said, pointing at the bundle of papers in my hands I was fumbling with. I obediently handed them over. He flipped through the stack quickly before pulling out a sheet. "There we go. Wait here."

The man disappeared behind a door and left me alone in the store. I started wandering around while I waited. There was a wide variety of things for sale, mostly clothes, snacks, office supplies, and electronic devices. They were probably the things either necessary or useful for daily life in Orange Planet. There wasn't anything tourist oriented here.

"Undine-chan," the man called out.

"Undine-chan," the man repeated. I wondered who he was trying to talk to.

I suddenly realized that the person he was trying to talk to was me. It sounded nice to my ear. "Undine-chan?"

"Hahii!"

I looked over and saw that the man had returned to the counter. In his hand was a folded white cloth. It must have been the uniform in question.

"Here, try this on for size. There's a dressing room over there," the man said. He pointed over to the side of the room.

"Hahii."

The feathery light cloth felt cool in my hands as I picked it up and took it to one of the rooms in the back. It felt equally crisp against my skin after I had put it on. The dress and short-sleeve shirt were still a bit thin for the last whispers of morning chill which could cling in spring air.

I held myself in this way and that, twisting and posing for the full-length mirror. I loved the uniform. How it looked. How it felt. With the hat, the boots, and the gloves I was like a real Undine now. It felt like I had taken one more step to making my dream becoming my reality.

It took me a moment to gather enough nerve to step back outside of the dressing room. When I did so I felt incredibly self-conscious. I liked how I looked, but I was also afraid that I looked weird or that the storekeeper would have some strange reaction.

"How's it feel?" the man asked. The intense analytical look from the start of our meeting was back again.

"It feels great," I enthused.

"Okay. Wait here and I'll get you a few others." He turned back to retrieve more uniforms.

I couldn't help my curiosity. Rather than returning to the main part of the store, I asked him, "How did you know what size to get for me?"

"That? That's easy. You don't do a job for 15 years without picking up something as easy as that," the man called out from where he was getting the extra uniforms.

"15 years? Wow. That's a long time." I could only barely remember hints and fragments from 10 years ago.

"That's right. I was here from the very beginning of this place. We were still in that small office near the Sylphs back then. Those were the days. I still remember back when they were thinking about closing down. We've changed a lot since then."

"Closing down? That seems hard to believe. This place seems so busy," I said. There were numerous people wandering around the building. I had lost count of how many people I had seen. I must have seen at least a dozen Undines plus a dozen of others who did not wear the white and yellow uniforms.

"It's true. Sometimes back then we'd go a whole day without seeing a single customer," the man said. He came back to the counter with a small stack of uniforms. "You might not have heard the rumors. The news was kept pretty close inside the company."

"I wouldn't have heard them anyway. I just came here from Manhome," I said. Truth be told, I didn't even know what a Sylph was. It was a whole different experience. This man who had lived in Orange Planet for years painted a very different picture of what life had been like here in the early days. I completely believed him, but I found it hard to really picture the things he was saying.

"Manhome? That's a long trip. What brings you out here?" the man asked me.

It was the first in what would probably be a repeated question. I should have expected it, but it still left me off guard. I hadn't prepared an explanation so I just said what came to mind. "I just wanted something different. I always wanted to be an Undine for as long as I could remember. Just something where I could be on the water."

"Well if you want to be on the water you picked the right place for it," the man said. He gave a chuckle. "I'm sure you'll fit right in here."

"Thank you."

The man leaned over below the counter and rummaged a bit. When he came back up he was holding a large cloth bag. He neatly placed the stack of uniforms inside it. "Here, give me your old clothes. I'll put them in, too. It'll make it easier. Actually, you look like you could use some help there. Why don't you put all those papers in here." He handed over a second bag.

"Hahii."

My street clothes was deftly folded and placed on top of the still-folded uniforms the man had placed in the first bag. Meanwhile I took the second bag from him and inserted the stack of paperwork I had received from Aldo.

"Thank you very much," I said. I left the commissary with many more things than I had entered with, but despite that everything was much easier to manage thanks to the man's generosity.

Once I was outside I realized a minor problem. I still was unfamiliar with the layout of Orange Planet. It took me a second and some juggling to fish out my map of the building from the pile of papers as they sloshed around in the bag.

"Let's see. The next thing to do is find my room," I said out loud to myself. That one was easy. The entire dormitory section was prominently color-coded on the map, along with the dorm manager's office.

I took the scenic path to the dormitory area. Actually it was more like I took the long way back to the dormitory area. I figured it had to be more scenic that way. I wasn't in any particular rush, and I wanted to see more of Orange Planet. I would be living here for who knew how long? There were so many corners to see and so much personality to discover. I couldn't wait to experience it all.

There was a scattering of other Undines moving around the building plus a few other people here and there. Most of them made their way forward deliberately, rushing to meet their next appointment rather than taking their time to experience the magic all around them. It reminded me of how people had walked between classes at school. It made it impossible for me to imagine the ghostly silent halls of a few years ago which the man in the commissary had been describing.

The path I choose ended up walking in a big "U" shape around a large space in the center of the complex. It was marked on the map as being the courtyard. I could have taken the straight path and bypassed it entirely, but what was the fun of that? Halfway along the path there was a long hallway with windows lining both sides. I paused to take a look out of one of the windows into that open space.

It was a wonderful garden.

The grass which carpeted the ground was perfectly manicured, forming the green canvas upon which everything else was painted. In the center was a large pond which was sculpted in the shape of a large cross. Surrounding that were numerous bushes which filled the space with flowers of every color I could imagine. I could picture butterflies fluttering between them, joyfully dancing the day away. Breaking up the space and adding some height to the area were several trees. There were pairs of them flanking each of the doors, plus two tall ones in the corners of the garden. It made me want to climb up them just to see what I could see.

"Beautiful," I whispered

"Ahahaha! Like it?"

The voice from below the took me by surprise. I leaned out the open window and looked down. Crouching below me was an old man wearing a large straw hat and heavy gloves. The gloves were very different than mine. Mine were an immaculate white with yellow trim, and they had open tips which left the ends of my fingers exposed. His were a think and heavy beige stained dark with dirt and sweat, and they completely covered his entire hands. They were gloves for dirty work, not gloves which formed part of the uniform the face of Neo Venezia wore.

"Hahii! This garden is amazing. Did you make it?" I continued to lean out from the window to get a closer look at some flowers below. I went out as far as I could without taking the risk of falling over and onto my face.

"No. My senpai made it originally, but he entrusted it to me when he retired," the man said. He continued to kneel down. This had the net effect of putting me near eye-level with him when I turned to face him. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you before, Undine-chan."

"That's right. I'm new here. Today's my first day. I'm looking around." My head felt extra-full from all of the blood rushing to my head, and I pushed myself back up before the funny feeling escalated.

"That's a good idea. What do you think so far?" the gardener asked. He pushed himself up to his feet in response to me returning to a more vertical stance. He subsequently loudly dusted off his knees.

"It's wonderful. It's all so different than Manhome," I said. Even as I spoke to him I couldn't stop my gaze from wandering all around the clearing. It was so beautiful. Eye-catching sights were in every corner of the green space.

The gardener gave another boisterous laugh. "It is, isn't it? I heard they have machines to do all of this back on Manhome. That seems like such a waste. It so much more fulfilling to do things by hand. I think the plants know the difference."

"I'm sure all of the plants here love you. I can feel it."

The gardener gave another laugh. He seemed like the kind of jolly person who just loved life. "I hope so."

"Well then. I'll see you later."

"Nice to meet you, Undine-chan."

And I was off again, once again walking through the ornate and opulent paths of Orange Planet, and once again making my way to the dormitories. I passed by a mail room, and a large public bath, and a cafeteria as I wandered my way through the building. All of them contained an old fashioned Italian charm to them. There was lots of wood, and marble, and vivid colors all around. The decorations were all pointlessly ornate, but the ornateness were also very much their point.

My introduction documents didn't give me any indication where I was supposed to live. They only said I should report to the dorm manager. That person's office was as prominently labeled on the map as the commissary was, albeit the room itself was substantially smaller. It was right at the entrance of the dormitories which also made it convenient.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Maybe a counter, like the commissary. Maybe a window, like a bank. Maybe a simple door, like any other office. The only thing I knew is that it was immediately on the right upon entering the area.

The only indication I had entered the dormitories was a slightly more defined archway along the wall. There wasn't any real door at the border, and the ground remained the same lush orange carpet on tile as everywhere else. Nevertheless the whole ambiance did feel very different. It somehow felt more homey in a way I couldn't explicitly define. It might have been the choice of pictures on the wall, or the lack of customers, or the lighting, or the tenor of the background noise having changed. It might have just been my imagination as a result of my knowledge that this was a place where people lived. I couldn't tell how or why, but I could somehow feel the difference within me.

I immediately turned right upon entering and found myself facing a door like any other. I politely knocked.

"Come in," a man's voice called out.

"Excuse me," I said as I pulled the door open. Inside was a young man with long dark hair he kept in a ponytail. He was sitting behind a desk, but he stood up upon my entry.

"Good morning," he said. "You must be Mizunashi-san."

"Hahii. How did you know?" I asked. I stepped more fully inside.

This room was a strange hybrid between an office and a home.

Aldo's office had been set up in the finest traditions of Manhome, with the only wall decoration being a clock hung where both he and visitors could easily see it. His only furniture had been a desk in the corner where he sat, and another small table with three chairs in the opposite corner. In contrast this room had several paintings, a sofa along the side of the wall, and a teapot simmering on a welcoming furnace tucked in a corner. This room wasn't exactly a living room either, though. It had the same functional office desk Aldo had, and had a computer oriented where the man could easily see both it and the door at the same time.

"I didn't recognize you, and you're the only new Undine scheduled to join today." He stepped forward and offered his hand. I shook it in greeting. "My name is Allen Alfonzo, and I'm the manager of the dorms. I expect you're here to find out where you're staying."

"Hahii."

"Okay. I'll just need to see your paperwork. Process, you understand, right? If I don't get those forms filed there's no end to the yelling I get," Allen said.

It had only been my third encounter with the bureaucracy of Orange Planet, but I was already noticing a pattern. I didn't know which of the plethora of papers he wanted, but I was sure he did. Rather than try to sort through the pages myself I instead walked over to him and pulled them out. I placed the whole unsorted stack on the desk and said, "I'm not sure which one you need."

"It's a big one, with a square box on the top half," Allen said as he started skimming through the pages. He had to flip over a few of them which had ended up upside down during the shuffle.

I saw the flash of a box on one of the pages and asked, "Like that one?" I grabbed it by the corner and pulled it out.

"No. That's the... I'm actually not sure what it is, but the form we're looking for is a bit... there it is," Allen said. He pulled out a different page and showed it to me. It looked about the same to me as the one I had grabbed. All of the various pages and forms looked the same to me.

"Okay, I'll just need to have you sign here," Allen prompted. He marked a line with a pen he suddenly had in his hand. "This signifies that you've been given the living agreement. That's this." He handed me another small stack of papers which caused my pile to grow ever larger.

I took the documents and signed where he indicated.

"Very good. Here's a map of the dorms," Allen said. He handed over yet another sheet of paper. It was like the map of Orange Planet as a whole, but it only contained the dormitories. This allowed the image to be zoomed in to be much larger than the generic map of Orange Planet, which in turn made it easy to make out each of the individual rooms. Alan circled one of them and said, "You'll be staying here. That's down the left hall, second corridor on the right."

"Thank you very much," I said. I slid the stack of papers back into my bag and only kept the map of the dorms open to guide me to my room.

"If there's anything else I can help you with, you know where to find me," Allen said as he escorted me back outside into the hallway. And then the door closed behind me and I was alone again.

I double checked the map against Allen's directions to make sure they matched, and then took a right to enter the dorms more fully. I was a bit confused why Allen had neither told me my room number nor given me a key. I expected it would make more sense when I reached my room, and if not I could always find my way back. As each of the corridors looked about the same I might take a couple of wrong turns to return, but I was confident I could find him again eventually if I needed to.

The answer to both of my questions did indeed become apparent as I continued to walk to my room. The doors upon doors I passed contained neither a number nor a lock on them. It wasn't anything at all like I was expecting. It was definitely confusing, but it was wonderful in a way too.

I reached the marked room. The wooden door looked identical to all of the other ones. It was a corner room so it stood out a bit, but I still double-checked the map to make sure I had the right place. I would have hated to walk into somebody else's room by mistake.

It was the right room.

I opened the door.

And was greeted by the sight of a half-naked girl.

She screamed.

"Hahii!"

I slammed the door shut in front of me. I then turned to the side and leaned back against the wall. I certainly hadn't expected that. My heart was pounding and my face felt like it was glowing with heat. My mind was racing even as my thoughts went around and around in circles.

My heavy breathing slowly calmed down. I pulled out my map and checked again. I was sure this was the right place.

I took a deep breath and turned back to the door. I raised my hand and tentatively knocked.

"Excuse me," I announced.

The door slowly opened, and the girl I had seen earlier poked her head out. She now wore the light summer uniform of an Orange Planet Undine, complete with two gloves. She was about the same height as me, with a fairly slight build. Her black hair was braided in a loop around the back of her head, with the remainder flowing out through the hoop.

"Hel... what do you want? Are you some kind of pervert?" she accused. Her severe face matched the harsh tone of voice she used.

"Umm... sorry about before. I think this is my room?"

I held out my map, complete with circled room, as a placating offering in front of me. The girl looked at it, her eyes scrunching up in thought.

"I see. Didn't your parents ever teach you to knock?"

"Umm... I didn't think there would be anybody else here. Manager-san didn't say anything?"

"I see," she said. She stared at me with a mixture of suspicion and disbelief. She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Just be sure to knock next time. I'm guessing you're my new roommate."

"Roommate?"

"Everybody in Orange Planet has a roommate. My name is Adriana Bonomo."

"Adriana-chan. Nice to meet you. I'm Akari Mizunashi."

"What's that?"

Adriana stared at the hand I held out to her in confusion.

"To shake, as proof of our new friendship." It seemed like the right thing to do, especially with a new roommate.

Adriana continued to stare at my hand. The situation slowly grew to be tense. Reluctantly she reached out with her own gloved hand and took it. I gave an enthusiastic handshake.

"Well you had best come in. Don't mind the mess," Adriana said. She stepped aside and let me into the room.

Mess was an understatement. Clothing covered the room. Shirts, skirts, socks, and even underwear lay on the floor, on the sofa, and hanging out of her dresser. The room itself had a strong orange decor, much like the rest of Orange Planet. Dark orange curtains not only framed both sides of the windows, they also hung around the two beds symmetrically placed in the corners of the room. The couch in the center underneath the window was a much more vivid orange from what I could see from the half of it not covered with clothes. The walls in the room were the same light orange beige color that was visible on so many other walls in the building. There were a few other accents visible as well, such as the green rug in the center of the room and the purple blankets on the two beds.

"That's your half of the room," Adriana said, pointing at the right half of the room.

"My half?"

Now that she mentioned it, the mess was mostly confined to the left half of the room. I could picture a line straight down the center, where the left was a total mess and the right was clean. Mostly clean. There was still an occasional glove, boot, or box which had bravely adventured across the border.

"That's right. It's pretty normal for roommates to split the room in half. Everything on that side is yours, and you can't complain about what happens on my half," Adriana explained.

Was that normal? I didn't know. I had never had a roommate before.

"Is it possible you had a roommate before me?" I asked.

Adriana rolled her eyes with a sigh. "I had one. Like I said, everybody in Orange Planet has a roommate."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know. She just left one day. Good riddance, I say."

I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.

"It's getting kind of late. Want to get some dinner?" Adriana asked.

I was starting to get a bit hungry. I said, "Hahii. Where's there to eat around here?"

"There's a few places around here, but I usually just go to the cafeteria. Give me a minute to send out a mail and I'll walk you there."

Adriana plopped down on her bed and pulled open a computer. With nothing else to do, I dropped my things on my bed and started sorting them. I opened the dresser on my side of the room and took out some hangers. I hung my extra Undine uniforms there. I hung the clothes I had worn to Aqua next to them as well. The green and brown stood out against the cloud of white and yellow which surrounded it.

Next I moved to file the giant stack of papers I had received from human resources into one of the drawers of my desk, but it was only at that point I noticed it. There didn't seem to be any desks in the room. It was strange. That must have been why Adriana was working on her bed. I ended up putting the papers into one of the drawers on the bottom of my dresser as a temporary solution to the immediate problem. I left my backpack on the ground next to my bed.

The boxes I had sent from Manhome to Aqua would be arriving in the next few days, so I would have more work to do in the near future. Until then, the light unpacking I had was complete.

"Okay. Let's go," Adriana said. I was in the process of opening my backpack and retrieving my computer. I put them back down and stood up to follow. I would instead need to take the time to write in my computer later in the evening.

I had to walk quickly to keep up with Adriana. Moving in a semi-hurry seemed like a common trend in Orange Planet. She led me through the building without a single missed turn, not that I would have noticed if we had doubled back at all. The corridors all looked the same to me and I couldn't tell one from another. I was sure that that would come with time.

We reached the cafeteria in short order. I could only assume Adriana had long since seen everything in Orange Planet. Nothing seemed to slow her down or catch her eye, not even the giant tree or bush or vine or something which stood in a corner of one of the rooms we passed which had grown to spread out all the way to the ceiling. I had to run after Adriana to catch up after passing by that room. She moved with all the speed and efficiency of a native of Manhome.

It was called a cafeteria which brought an image of lots of functional tables, chairs, and walls, all patterned to hide stains and damage. Lots of industrially made food, which was easy to prepare in large quantities and could last a long time with little maintenance. In short, I imagined a company cafeteria.

I wasn't expecting what I saw in front of me.

Just stepping into the room caused me to stop and take in the scene. It was less like a company cafeteria and more like a lavish restaurant. The walls were the same flat orange shared across the rest of the building, but to a much larger extent. The circular trim halfway up the multi-story-tall room both broke up the space and added a touch class. The lanterns along the walls had the same effect of making the room look decidedly spacious even as they brightened the room just as effectively as the rest of Orange Planet was illuminated, albeit with a bit much more luxury than most areas. The top of the room had several vaulted windows, and the ceiling had an ornate red and gold mural like I could imagine from ancient Venice.

Adriana had no such hesitancy. She marched straight over to a stack of trays on the side of the room, grabbed one, and moved directly to the second counter from the left. As I had done since starting to follow her from our room, I had to hurry in her wake.

I was immediately faced with a dilemma. Laid out in front of me was a veritable buffet of delectable things. Soups and stews. Pastas and salads. Sausages and seafood. There was definitely an Italian trend, as could be expected for Neo Venezia, but there was also some Chinese, Hungarian, Argentinian, French, Japanese, and several other types of food I didn't recognize. They all looked lovingly made by hand, and they all smelled equally delicious.

This must have been a Neo Venezia style company cafeteria. I adored it.

I couldn't decide what I wanted to try first.

"I'd suggest you try the four cheese polenta. It came out particularly well today," the chef behind one of the counters said.

Chef? I looked up from the food and saw a young man with gray hair standing behind the counter. He wore a chef uniform and a tall white chef hat. I had only seen those in advertisements before. It struck me as funny for some reason. His chef whites matched nicely with all of the women in the cafeteria wearing white and yellow Undine uniforms.

"Thank you," I said. His recommendation saved me from my dilemma. I helped myself to a large helping.

I then turned to follow behind Adriana, who was kind enough to wait with her own tray in hand. She had a large pile of fried rice. It was enough to make me want to change my selection and get it, and one of the omelets, and the steamed broccoli, and the roast, and...

That would need to be for another day. I was sure I had more than enough on my plate, even considering I had skipped lunch earlier in the day.

Adriana led me to an empty table and then showed me where to get drinks. After that the dinner went by fairly quietly. I tried to chat with Adriana about nothing in particular as I ate.

Once we finished eating, Adriana led us back to our room. There I took the opportunity to open my computer and finish the writing I had planned to do before dinner. After that it was time for bed. I would have an early morning with practice.

I went to sleep with a full stomach and with the eager knowledge that I would finally be able to go out onto the water for real tomorrow.

* * *

Last Updated: June 17, 2016


	3. 3: That Training…

Chapter 3: That Training...

"That was so much fun."

"It really was."

"We'll definitely come back again, Akari-san."

Another tour over, and another job well done. Being an Undine gave such a warm feeling. I was sure that that charming couple would never forget their honeymoon for as long as they lived.

"Thank you very much, Akari-san."

"Fine, be late. See if I care."

That was an odd thing for a customer to say. A door closed shut too, even thought there was no door in sight along the dock.

I put it out of my mind. It was such a nice dream. I didn't want to wake up. Instead I relaxed and let myself drift away.

It was the kiss of the sun brushing against my cheeks which finally compelled me to open my eyes. It was another day. Another plain, ordinary day.

Only it wasn't another ordinary day. My dream had come true. I was now an Undine on Aqua. I was a trial Undine in training to be sure, but I was an Undine nonetheless. And this was supposed to be my first day!

I crashed out of bed in a heap. It hurt a bit, but there was no time to worry about that. Adriana had already left, but there was no time to think about that either.

In my haste I accidentally threw on one of my uniforms backwards. Luckily I wasn't so out of it that I failed notice and correct it. I got my gloves cross-matched as well. Why was it that everything was always harder when I was in a hurry? Luckily my hat was easy to put on, and the boots weren't that difficult either.

I still loved the way that wearing an Undine uniform made me feel.

Now that everything was set, I hurried out of the room. There was no time for breakfast. There wasn't even time to fix my hair, which a quick look in a passing mirror showed needed some work. Instead I tried my best to comb it flat with my hands as I ran. My gloves made my efforts feel weird, but that the gloves were fingerless meant I could still feel my hair with the tips of my fingers. I wasn't sure how much I had managed to salvage. I only hoped that my hat would hide any egregious problems.

The last vestige of morning still kept the crisp feeling of spring lingering in the air. It kept me cool in the summer uniform as I rushed around the building. The training area was prominently marked and obvious on the map, and I had memorized the route the night before. I had to go down the stairs, across the hall, through the garden, and through the mail room. It was one of the two large areas with access to the ocean by water.

Why did it have to be so far away?

"Good morning," I called out to the gardener as I ran through. I didn't stop to talk.

"Morning," he called back.

Everything looked different in person as compared to the map. The two-dimensional paper gave an accurate enough description of the path, but it was so flat. It lacked the little details of the display cabinets lining a hall, or the carpeting thumping underfoot, or the repaired wall on the corner of a turn. Those details were what brought everything to life. It was hard to translate the simple line I had traced and retraced on the paper to the multi-directional movements all around me. There was no time to stop and enjoy it, though. I was already late.

The mail room gave me a fuzzy feeling when I ran through it. It was a genuine mail room with numerous wooden cabinets in which mail could be placed. Real, physical pieces paper. They were an anachronism back on Manhome. They had been supplanted by the infinitely faster and more convenient digital version. I wondered if I had received anything in the single day I had been here. I would need to check later.

I emerged into the training area, and the grandiose...

"You're late!" a voice barked out.

Oops. There was no time to stop and look around. The voice came from a cluster of women near the dock. There were four of them, each wearing an Undine uniform. A couple of them were about my age, a few were little older, and there was one who was probably in her late 30s.

I kept hold of my hat to prevent it from flying off my head as I rushed over to them.

"S..sorry I'm late," I said. I bowed profusely in apology.

"Don't make it a habit," the same voice from earlier snapped out. It was the woman in her late 30s. Her most distinguishing characteristic, now that I had been primed to see it, was that she wore no gloves. Her shoulder-length hair was straight, and she had a glint of hidden strength through her body. She must have been Ariel, the Prima to whom I had been assigned. She was to teach me about Neo Venezia and about being an Undine.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again.

"Now that you're here, let's start with some introductions. My name is Ariel Marino. I'm going to be your mentor and teach you everything you need to know to become a Prima," Ariel said, pointing at herself with her thumb.

"I'm Ashley Russo," the next girl said. Then came April. And finally Adriana, whom I already knew. All of them were Pairs.

Not only were they all Pairs, they all had names which began with an "A." It was a strange coincidence. Then again my name started with an "A" as well, so who was I to say anything? I was sure I would fit right in.

"My name is Akari Mizunashi," I introduced myself when it finally came around to me.

"Now that that's all settled, why don't you show us what you already know," Ariel asked. "See those training buoys? Go between of them without touching them."

"Hahii," I said. I was enthusiastic. I had been looking forward to this. The months... years... however long I had spent on those simulators back on Manhome would finally be proven.

I walked over and stepped up to the front of the gondola. It felt a bit different than what I was used to, but it was still the same feeling of a boat floating on water. The oar was next. I picked it up and turned it around so I had a good grip of the handle. The wooden object felt both familiar and different than Manhome. It was strange to have the touch of glove between my hand and the wood. Its bulk made the handle feel that much thicker and it reduced the feeling of the wood against my calloused hands. My open fingers made sure I still could still feel enough of the oar to maintain the fine control that I needed. I felt confident. I knew I could do this.

The oar dipped in the water.

"What do you think you're doing, Akari-chan?" Ariel demanded.

"Hahii?"

Her voice shook me out of my pattern. I looked up to see Ariel staring at me with furrowed eyes, and the other three Pairs watched me with varying mixtures of disbelief and humor.

"You're standing on the wrong side of the gondola," Ariel said.

I froze.

What?

WHAT?!

It was true. There were a few other clusters of Pairs out on the water in the harbor. All of them were standing in the back of their gondolas and rowing forward.

I felt mortified. How could I have made such a simple mistake? All of that time I had spent practicing had been wasted.

With a sigh of disappointment I stepped down and crossed to the back of the gondola. I suddenly felt much less confident. I held the now foreign oar in my hand with nervousness.

As best as I could I dipped the oar into the water. I then tentatively tried to push forward. I was as hesitant as the first time I had tried rowing back when I had started on Manhome. It felt like the water might jump up and bite my hand.

I had limited success. The boat wobbled a bit and slowly drifted away from the dock.

My second stroke had less success. The boat didn't move any faster, except in its rocking motion from side to side. I had done more to increase my wobble than to speed up any forward movement.

Another stroke. The boat starting listing to the right, towards one of the buoys. I panicked and tried another stroke. I almost fell off the boat as a result, and I had to lean over to keep my balance. I was now going directly at the buoy.

I kept rowing on the right side of the gondola, and my drifting to the right became more and more pronounced with each stroke. I thought maybe if I reversed it I could have a similar effect in the other side and correct things. I pulled the oar out of the water and put it on the left side of the boat. I tried pushing that way. The only effect was to add more rocking to the boat's already unsteady motion.

A crash was unavoidable.

I clutched the oar and braced myself as best I could.

Thunk.

My slow moving gondola bumped into the buoy with minimal effect to both to it and the boat.

I had barely traveled even 10 meters by this point.

Back on shore, each and every one of the four more experienced Undines was shaking her head. It was not exactly the stellar debut of a shining new Undine that I had hoped for.

Ariel said, "A complete beginner. You three work with Akari-chan. One of you show Akari-chan how to row and the other two practice together. Rotate every half-hour."

Everybody agreed. The groups scattered to their respective directions. Ariel left to reenter Orange Planet proper, Ashley and April went to get another gondola in the training area, and I slowly bobbled my way back to the dock.

Now that I finally had a chance to actually take a look around, my initial impression of the training area still held firm. The whole area was grandiose. The harbor was directly connected to the vast ocean. There were some other connections out of the area as well. Some went into the city, and some went into the Orange Planet building to where Primas met visitors. The harbor itself had a long dock with numerous empty spaces where gondolas had been taken out in the morning. Several more gondolas still remained tied there, unused. There were some sea walls in the direction of the ocean which ensured that the water inside the cove always remained calm. The sunlight streamed down from above, and the open sky provided no impediment to its glowing warmth.

It was amazing that, depending on which direction I looked, the whole atmosphere of the place changed. In one direction I saw the spacious skyline dotted with windmills in the distance. Turn a little and the scene transformed into a quaint coastal town I had only seen in tourist brochures before this. A little more and it was Neo Venezia in all of its glory. A bit more and it was Orange Planet against the backdrop of the city. Next was Orange Planet and its impressive architecture and majestic presence. Then a scene of Orange Planet on the waterfront, just the building and the ocean. Then it was the ocean again, picturesque scenic beauty.

"Hello?" Adriana asked, waving a hand in front of me. "If you're finish spacing out, want to get practicing?"

"Hahii," I said. My face was red with embarrassment for daydreaming while Adriana had been waiting for me.

Adriana grabbed the oar out of my hands. "Sit."

I almost jumped into the seat.

"In front, so you can see me."

I moved to the seat in the front of the black boat such that I was now facing backwards towards Adriana.

"See? You're supposed to stand this way. The oar. You were holding that wrong, too. Your hands go here and here. Then to row, you use one smooth movement like this."

Adriana proceeded to demonstrate how to row a gondola forward. It was indisputably better than my earlier attempt. We were moving faster, and the rocking her rowing caused didn't make me feel like I was on the verge of tipping over into the ocean. I watched her with wide eyes.

We went through two buoys before Adriana stopped. "See? Now you try it."

"Hahii."

I switched positions with Adriana. I tried to imitate the grip Adriana had used for the oar. It felt different than what I was used to. Not good, but not bad either. Just different, like drinking a cup of tea with my left hand instead of my right hand.

"No. Move your hands wider apart."

"Hahii."

"Your feet. Bring them closer together."

"Hahii."

"Smile. Smile. You need to smile no matter what."

"Hahii."

"And push forward."

"Hahii."

I dipped the oar into the water again and tried to imitate the stroke Adriana had used. Once again I felt the satisfying resistance of water against the wood as I pushed forward.

"No crouching."

"Hahii."

I stood up straight. Straighter. As straight as I could without feeling like I would fall over every time I took a stroke.

"Straighter. You need to look elegant."

"Hahii."

I stood up even straighter. As straight as if I had been on dry land. Even more straight than that. I felt decidedly off-balance as I continued to row and as the boat continued to teeter and totter through the water.

"Faster, Akari-chan. Faster. Put your back into it."

"Hahii."

I tried to row faster. It was too much. The rocking boat, my rigid standing pose, and the reduced balance from pushing faster all combined to tip me over. I immediately let go of the oar with my left hand and flailed to keep my balance, but it was all for naught.

Splash.

I was in the water.

The cool ocean was a refreshing break from the heat of the sun. It was still spring on Aqua, but the morning chill had long since vanished. I could taste the appetizer of summer's heat beating down. The water felt pure and almost sweet against my lips, completely free of the chemicals which kept a swimming pool clean. I swam up and emerged on the surface with a splash. The gentle waves rocked me up and down and back and forth as they rolled around me in this sheltered harbor.

I raised my hand and playfully splashed some water towards Adriana. She flinched away.

"What'd you think you're doing?"

"But the water feels so nice," I explained.

I reclaimed the oar so it wouldn't float and away and I treaded water. On another day I could have swum for hours. I would need to bring my swimsuit then rather than wearing the uniform I currently wore. The weather was just perfect. The sun beat down against my face, heating it up, while the rest of my body was kept cool by the crystal water around me.

"Get back here. We're supposed to be practicing."

"Hahii." That was right. I was supposed to be learning the correct way to row.

I swam over to the gondola. Adriana relieved me of the oar and placed it along the side of the boat in an out of the way place. She then helped me back onto the gondola. It was a difficult maneuver and we almost swamped the boat. Still I managed to get in without either capsizing the boat or dragging Adriana into the water beside me. It was a bit of a shame. The water had felt so refreshing.

As expected, I was soaked through and through. That also felt nice. The sensation was an exotic one. My skin felt cool from the rivulets of water still on it, but warm at the same time from the sunlight directly on it as well. It was like adding a bit of salt to a watermelon, with the unexpected touch of saltiness mixing with the sweetness of the fruit to make both just that much stronger. The sensation covered half of my entire body, making me feel weird in a good way.

"Here. You sit here and watch. I'll show you again," Adriana said.

I relaxed on the seat indicated and watched Adriana show me how to row again. She gave pointers here and there as she went about what she had been trying to explain to me earlier. I could feel the water evaporating off my skin as the time passed. It left a crunchy crinkled sensation behind.

Adriana handed the oar to me again after a few minutes. With renewed confidence I took it up and proceeded to row. It was much better this time. I kept my feet and didn't topple into the water a second time. I was prepared to call that a success.

In short order Adriana was swapped out with Ashley. After that April helped me with my rowing technique. Then Adriana returned again. I felt like I had improved a great deal throughout the rotations.

I was expected Ashley to switch again once we had returned to the dock. It was not to be. Adriana surprised me by stowing the oar away. She announced, "Whew, finally done. I'm exhausted."

Ashley paused in her exit of the docks to say, "What're you complaining about? You had two breaks with Akari-chan." She stretched her arms out as she said this and then massaged her own back.

April was already halfway out of sight.

"We're stopping?" I asked.

"Yeah. Morning practice is done. What a relief," Adriana said.

I counted back the number of times they had rotated. With 30 minutes per rotation it had only been two hours. I still felt fine. I could definitely go for a lot longer.

"Can I keep practicing?" I felt like I had made some great progress. Now that I knew what I was supposed to do I felt like I was on the right track.

"Do whatever you want. We got free time until this afternoon. If you want to waste it, it's up to you," Adriana called out behind her. And then she was gone too.

Now on my own, I un-stowed the oar, re-mounted the gondola, and re-released it into the water. I checked my stance and my grip, just like Adriana had told me. Once I was set I pushed off and started navigating the numerous buoys again.

I lost myself in the gentle rocking of the waves. And the steady push of wood against water. And the ever changing scenery around me. A flock of birds passing overhead in a burst of commotion. The offshore windmills twirling in synchronization. The flowering trees on the land waving at me. It made me want to wave back to them.

My first lap on my own was completed without incident. I began the second one. It was about this time that I had an idea. I started rowing towards one of the canals which would lead me into the city. Before I could get too far, though, a man stopped me before I could get too far. A supervisor? Overseer? Attendant? Lifeguard? Gatekeeper? I wasn't sure. I think he was an attendant.

"Sorry, but Pairs aren't allowed to row in the city without a Prima," the man said.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Company policy."

"Are you sure I can't go out?" The practice arena was very beautiful and very spacious, especially now that I had it practically to myself. Even so I very much wanted to see Neo Venezia and row amongst the people there. I might not be a fully-fledged Undine, but it would certainly make me feel like one.

"It's company policy," the man repeated himself.

"Hahii. Thank you."

I returned to the practice area. I clumsily bobbled around the course several more times. By my third lap, I no longer practically had the practice harbor to myself. I instead literally had the practice harbor to myself. The only people still present were me and the attendant who was solidly on land.

My stomach was starting to poke me to get something to eat as I finished my fourth lap. However before I left I wanted to do one more lap. This time I wanted to row through the course on my own terms. As best I could, I steered the gondola in a half circle until I was facing backwards. It was the way I was accustomed, and the way I had spent all that time practicing on Manhome. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't think anybody would care in this empty expanse of water.

I dipped the oar into the water and pushed backwards, just like I had done so often in the simulators. The gondola darted back smoothly and quickly in response, just like in the simulators, and just like how I had wanted the gondola to answer while I had been rowing forward. I guided the boat like it was an extension of my body through the first marker, and then turned in a decisive arc towards the second one. I had to glance behind me to make sure I was going the right direction. I was. I glided between the second set of buoys so quickly that I could have been flying through the air. The breeze felt good against my back. It was just like I had imagined it would be back on Manhome. No, it was even better than I had imagined.

The third, the fourth, and the rest of the markers passed by just as easily. The scene behind me was the same as I had been watching at all morning, but it looked so different in reverse. It was funny how such a small change of perspective could make everything feel so new.

Once I had completed the whole course I slowed the boat to an easy stop at the dock. I maneuvered it against the edge, deftly dismounted, stowed the oar, and felt proud of my accomplishment for the practice session. I was nowhere near as good rowing forward as I was backwards. How could I be? I had spent years on the simulators back on Manhome. However I wasn't disheartened. I still felt more accomplished than I had felt after my first week of practice when I had started back on Manhome.

"You forgot to tie up your boat," the attendant said.

I hadn't realized that I needed to do that. I had never done that before back on Manhome. There were a lot of things I had never done on Manhome. It was the difference between a simulation and real life. It was worth it for the taste of the breeze and the smell of the sunlight.

That was also a problem. I had kind of watched Adriana tie up the gondola earlier, but hadn't really paid too much attention. I knew it wasn't an ordinary knot, but I didn't know too much more than that. I asked that man, "Umm... can you show me how to do it?"

"You don't even know how to do that?" he asked. I was sure he was frustrated. To the natives of Aqua it must have been like being asked how to tie your shoes. "Go ask another Undine."

"Hahii?" I looked around. I was still the only Undine still in the practice area. "There isn't anybody else here."

"Pfft..." He rolled his eyes. However he still climbed to his feet and approached me at the dock.

"Sorry. I just moved here from Manhome," I explained as he approached.

"Oh. I see," he said. His voice stayed level, but his face softened a bit. He took the rope into his hands. "Here, see this?"

He took the rope and tied it into a very secure looking knot, going step by step and making sure I understood everything. I did. I think.

"My son went to Manhome, you know," the attendant said.

"He did?" That wasn't too common, but it wasn't too uncommon either. It was certainly more common than my migration from Manhome to Aqua. Everybody I knew on Manhome knew somebody who knew somebody who had migrated from Aqua. Nobody knew anybody who had done the reverse and moved to Aqua. Clearly people had in the past, but nobody actually knew anybody. Nobody until me.

"He went to Tokyo. He wanted to be a geological engineer."

"Tokyo? That's a really good city. They have lots of cutting-edge research there," I said. I knew Tokyo by reputation. Everybody on Manhome knew Tokyo at least by reputation. It was very advanced and was one of the premiere cities of the planet.

"That's what he said. They have some big geology group there," the man said. He then untied the gondola and handed me the rope. "Here, now you try it."

"That's what I heard," I said as I picked up the rope. I just held it for a second. I would need to concentrate to tie it correctly and I wanted to finish my thought first. "Weren't they involved with finding out how to bring water to Aqua? It's like your son is trying to repay them for the life they helped create here."

Once I had finished my thought I was then able to concentrate on my attempt to fold the rope the same way that the attendant had done earlier.

"I doubt that. It's more like he always just liked to play with rocks."

"I see. What's he think of Tokyo? I heard they finished the blue sky projectors last year. How does it compare to how things look on Aqua?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from him in a while."

"You haven't? You should write him." I finished my attempts at folding the rope.

"You think so?"

"Definitely. It's easy to get caught up with things on Manhome. I'm sure he'd like to hear from you."

"I think I'll do that." The attendant nodded twice. "That knot's a bit messy, but it should hold. You'd better go get some lunch before the cafeteria closes. Nice talking to you, Undine-chan."

I bid the man a farewell and left the training room in his care. I wasn't sure what he was going to do for lunch, but I expected he knew what he was doing.

* * *

I was scheduled to practice rowing every morning, but the afternoon assignment changed depending on the day. These ranged from answering customer questions and making reservations, to escorting visitors to the Primas, to one-on-one practice in Neo Venezia with Ariel. Each day had its own unique flavor. Its own characteristics. Its own special mark which made it different than every other day.

My introduction to these varying activities was another group practice session, but it was a very different session than the one I had had in morning. I was eager to get back on the water, but something else was in the plan. Luckily, it was something I was equally excited to learn all about.

"Akari-chan. Since you're new here, you can just follow along," Ariel said.

"Hahii." I had dutifully brought my tour book along as I had been instructed to. It was thick-ish. Kind of. It was thicker than a magazine, thinner than a textbook, and larger than a paperback novel. It also contained plenty of pictures.

"Ashley-chan," Ariel snapped. "The Fenice Theater. Go."

"Uhh..." Ashley hesitated. "The Fenice Theater was the... uhh... first theater in Venice on Manhome. They were famous for the operas they brought into the city. The... uhhh... name translates to... uhh... is named after a pheasant, which is a type of bird which was common around Venice."

I half-listened to Ashley as I flipped through the book to find the section on the Fenice Theater. The article opened with an expansive photograph of the entire building. It looked magnificent. I was tempted to immediately run out and see the place in person.

"Stop," Ariel commanded. I looked up to see a dangerous scowl on Ariel's face and a look of intense nervousness on Ashley's. "You didn't study at all, did you?"

"Uhh... uhh..." Ashley looked panicked in the face of Ariel's slitted eyes. "Sorry."

"Akari-chan. Read the first paragraph on Fenice Theater," Ariel commanded.

"Hahii..." I looked down into the book in my hands. "When in Neo Venezia, be sure to make time to visit the Fenice Theater. The name Fenice is named after the legendary bird, the phoenix, and it is apropos of both the theater and of Neo Venezia itself. Much like the phoenix, Fenice Theater was reborn from the ashes of San Benedetto Theater after it had burned down in Venice in 1774. It then continued its cycle of destruction and rebirth through the centuries, most recently being reborn on Neo Venezia after Venice had sunk beneath the waves on Manhome. The building is a faithful recreation of the original Fenice Theater from Venice, which was the first opera house of the city. It is the oldest operating opera house in Neo Venezia, and it is considered the one of the most prestigious stages on Aqua. Wow. I want to see it."

The last sentence I said on my own. The building looked and sounded so incredible. It wanted to experience it for myself. I was sure it would be that much more incredible in person. And the city. The city was huge. The sheer size of the tour book made me want to pick a direction and start walking. There was so much in Neo Venezia. I wanted to learn more and more about it.

"Very good," Ariel said. She turned to Ashley. "Ashley-chan, I count at least three things you got wrong."

"Sorry," Ashley said.

"April-chan. The Fenice Theater. Go," Ariel commanded.

"The Fenice Theater was the first opera house in Venice on Manhome. It gets its name from the legendary bird, the phoenix. This theater is a recreation of the theater from Venice, before it had sunk with the rest of the city. They still hold operas there to this day," April said.

"Smile," Ariel ordered, causing April to freeze. "Smile, no matter what. You're representing Neo Venice and Orange Planet. You're supposed to be happy, and perky, and fun."

April's mouth crept up in what could have possibly been a smile. It looked more than a little forced.

"Adriana-chan. You're turn."

Adriana's face took on the semblance of a happy smile while April's fell back to a more dour expression. "This is the Fenice Theater. The Fenice Theater was the first opera house in Venice. This building is a complete recreation of the same theater from back on Manhome. The name Fenice is named after the phoenix, that famous bird from mythology. The Fenice Theater is still in use today, and it is one of the favorite locations for high society to spend the evening. If you direct your attention to the..."

"Stop," Ariel said. Adriana's eyes took on a pained expression even while her face stayed frozen in a smile.

"What are you forgetting?"

"Uhh... Uhh..." Adriana hesitated. Her eyes darted between April and Ashley in askance for help. She didn't bother looking at me. It wouldn't have done any good if she had. I had no any idea what was going on. I glanced at the tour book out of nervous pressure, not that I expected to be able to see anything specific without taking the time to study the passage in detail.

Ariel didn't leave Adriana in suspense for long. "Ticket sales. You forgot about offering to arrange tickets. We get a commission for every ticket we sell. You need to offer them. It's good for them and it's good for us. Don't talk about high society either. It puts off casual tourists."

"But it's true," Adriana protested.

"Quiet. There's high-class seating, but there's cheaper gallery seating too. Offer it based on who your audience is," Ariel said. Her face took on a sugary lightness. "'The show La Triviata is being performed tonight. If madam would like to see it, I can help arrange for some excellent box seating for you.' 'The Fenice Theater caters to everybody. They have some very economical gallery seating. If you are interested, I can help arrange for some tickets for you.' Got it?"

"Hahii," I said, in chorus with the others.

"Adriana-chan. Bridge of Sighs. Go," Ariel demanded.

Adriana's face took on another smile while I flipped back through the book to find the section in question. Adriana was already talking as I got to the correct page and I tried to read along. "We are passing under the Bridge of Sighs. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Neo Venezia, as you can see from the crowd all around us. It's said to be so beautiful that just looking at it will make you sigh, which is why they call it the Bridge of Sighs."

That wasn't right. The pictures were stunning. They were at least as spectacular as the picture of the Fenice Theater. However, the text said that it got its name from its history. It was a rather grizzly one at that. I couldn't help but wincing as I read more about it. The book explained how it was actually the connection between a court and a prison, and how criminals would stop while crossing it and sigh out in grief while staring out of a window at the beautiful town below. It was fortunate it wasn't used like that anymore.

The text was in front of me in black and white, but Adriana spoke with such confidence that I couldn't help but believe her. Maybe it was something which they only taught Undines?

"Don't just make stuff up," Ariel shouted at Adriana. "If you don't know something, don't talk about it at all. You're the face of Neo Venezia. Everybody will believe you if you say something. Don't go spreading misinformation around."

"Fine," Adriana said. Her image of imperturbable happiness dropped away.

"Next. April-chan."

They went around again, each Pair giving a short description of the Bridge of Sighs. Ariel corrected them as they went. I followed as well, trying to collect every precious jewel of knowledge I could from all four of my seniors, especially from Ariel.

Next was San Marco Square. Then the Canal Grande. Then Marco Polo's house.

Each location just got me more and more excited. I wanted to run out and experience them all right then and there. Everything was perfect for a trip to explore Neo Venezia. The weather was absolutely wonderful. The sky was clear. The tingling sunlight shined down from above unimpeded. It illuminated everything and showed the vibrant colors of the buildings as well as a water so clean that it might have been glass. The warm sunlight would embrace my whole body, with the barest hint of a breeze to keep the skin prickling and cool against the light.

"Akari-chan..." Ariel stared at me like some kind of vengeful god.

"Hahii?" I realized my mind had wandered. I hadn't heard anything for the past few minutes.

"Pay attention. We're practicing customer greetings," Ariel said. Her ire vanished and a welcoming smile adorned her face. "Welcome to Orange Planet. How can I help you today?"

She stared at me after this. They all were. Was there something I was missing?

"Akari-chan, you're turn. You say it," Ariel said.

"Welcome to Orange Planet. How can I help you today?" I asked. I tried to mimic how Ariel had said it before.

"Hmm... okay. For now. Now pay attention to the others. I know you're new, but you need to learn these things, and it's better to learn it now than the first time you need to staff the front desk." Ariel said. "Adriana-chan. Your turn."

"Welcome to Orange Planet. How can I help you today?"

"Uhh..." Ariel hesitated, "I have an hour before I need to meet my friends for dinner. What can I see before then?"

"The most popular spots are the Bridge of Sighs and St. Marco Square. If you'd like I can arrange a tour for you," Adriana said. She spoke with a perky tone and practiced ease.

"Which one of them is your favorite?" Ariel asked.

"It's... uhh..." Adriana stumbled for the first time in this sequence. "The Bridge of Sighs is very popular. I like that one."

"What do you like about it?"

"It's... uhh... very beautiful. And it's actually wood on the inside, you know?" I hadn't known that. I would need to go back and look at that section of the tour book more carefully. The pictures didn't look at all like wood. There was still so much to learn about Neo Venezia. I couldn't get it all fast enough.

Back to a more stern voice, Ariel said, "You don't care at all about The Bridge of Sighs, do you."

Adriana hung her head down, but didn't answer.

"I don't care if you don't care, but it's a common question. You've been here long enough to come up with a good answer for it," Ariel said.

"Sorry," Adriana said.

"April-chan, your turn," Ariel said.

"Welcome to Orange Planet," April chimed in, in a close approximation to both Ariel and Adriana before.

"What are those floating things up in the air?"

"Those are ikijima. They're floating islands which are used to regulated the temperature of Aqua."

That answered another one of my questions. I had been wondering about them ever since I had passed by some of them when I had first arrived on Aqua.

"Cool. Can we take a tour of them?"

"I'm sorry, but Undines are only allowed to give tours of Neo Venezia. If you'd like I can arrange for you to get to one of the ropeways to go up to the city."

"What? I thought Orange Planet was a tour company. I want a tour of one of the floating islands," Ariel said. Her voice was insistent, bordering on angry

April was starting to get visibly nervous. "I'm very sorry, but Undines are not allowed to give tours of the floating islands."

"Says who?" Ariel said, now shouting. Even with playacting it felt difficult and embarrassing. I could imagine the scene this would cause if it were done in an area full of customers. It made me wonder if there really were customers who were that unreasonable, and if so how I would deal with them.

"I'm very sorry, but Undines are not allowed to give tours of the floating islands," April repeated herself.

"What kind of tour company is this? Get me your manager. I want to complain," Ariel shouted.

"I'm very sorry. Let me find somebody who can help you," April said. She was almost crying now.

Ariel was shaking her head. She said, "You can't just keep repeating yourself. It'll just make the customers more angry. Try to find out what they are trying to do and figure out a way to help them. If you can't, explain why."

"I tried to," April said. She still looked upset.

"Then try phrasing it a different way."

"And it's the Tourist Association which doesn't let Undines give tours of the floating islands," Ashley added in.

"Right. Thanks, Ashley-chan," Ariel said. "Ashley-chan, your turn."

Ashley gulped, but said in a bright voice, "Welcome to Orange Planet."

Ariel took turns switching from one trainee to another, playacting as different customers. Even I got asked some questions as practice session neared its end. Ariel would sometimes be a tourist, and other times she would be a busy parent trying to arrange a last-minute birthday party for her child. Or a business man trying to get somewhere. Or just asking for directions. No matter how she acted she expected the four of us to be friendly and courteous in return, even when I didn't know how I was supposed to answer a question.

It wasn't the same as the rowing practice, but I still enjoyed it. I got to learn all about the area around Orange Planet. I couldn't wait to go into the city and experience the reality of it all for myself.

* * *

Last Updated: July 15, 2016


	4. 4: That Wonderful Profession…

Chapter 4: That Wonderful Profession...

The flower of spring had bloomed and fallen, and the apple of summer had rapidly ripened in its stead. Nowhere was that more obvious than in the garden I passed by, on the way back from the breakfast I had enjoyed in the cafeteria. I frequently ate breakfast there. On the days with morning practice it would take too long to go anywhere else. On my free days without formal practice, too, it still felt good to have breakfast before I went to the practice I did anyway. Unlike the formal practice on the water, frequently on my free days I would practice in Neo Venezia on foot. In my mind, exploring the city, discovering new things, and practice were all the same thing.

Summer was ripe on the branch, but that fact was well masked while sheltered by the walls and air conditioning of Orange Planet. The shimmering waves of heat visible through the windows were the only indication of the temperature outside. They made it look like the buildings in the distance were dancing. Likewise, tiny lines of sunlight jiggled along the floor by my feet.

This wasn't the case near the garden. The garden was open to the air, which exposed its adjacent corridors to the early swelter of the morning. Over the months, the garden had transformed several times, changing clothes to match the changing season. It looked different now than it had at the start of spring. The new palette had much more green than before, and the previously ornamental trees now provided some much needed shade whenever I wanted to have a nice picnic in the field.

"Good morning," I called out to the gardener. He was working in the courtyard with his ever-present thick gloves on his hands.

"Good morning," he called back. He was as chipper as he always was in the morning. Due to our schedules, it was the side of his personality I saw most often.

"Still hard at work?"

"Yeah. I want to get as much done as I can before it gets too hot," he called back. That made sense to me.

"Good luck." And then I was gone. It was one of those ordinary exchanges of life, and I felt a bit happy for it.

My next stop on my way back was the mail room. I got mail through my computer as well, but there was something about a physical piece of paper which felt more satisfying. The fwoosh of opening the envelope. The crinkle of paper. I tended to write more on my computer, but I still enjoyed both penning out and receiving an actual letter whenever I had the chance to.

While I did not receive any letters today, my mailbox did have a copy of the latest edition of Mensile Undine. Orange Planet had several copies of the monthly magazine on display in the tourist reception area. They were always carefully laid out for the best visual effect. The company also provided complementary copies of the magazine for all of its employees. It was both a perk as well as a responsibility of working at Orange Planet. Ariel expected us to read it and know everything about whatever articles they had in the magazine. I would have read it regardless. The arrival of the latest issue was always a treat.

"Hey, hey, hey. Do you want to go visit St. Marco Square?" I asked Adriana as I opened the door to our room. I held up the magazine and pointed to the cover. It had a picture of the tall bell tower of St. Mark's Campanile. To its left was a church with several domed roofs, and to its right was a building with dozens of columned windows. In the shadow of the tower were several tables. The magazine promised a more detailed look of the location inside.

Andriana lounged around on her bed with her feet kicked up in the air. She was still in her pajamas and was leaning on her elbows to hover over a magazine. I didn't have to see it to know it wasn't Mensile Undine. She didn't even bother to look up to say, "In this weather?"

"It'll be fun."

Now she did look over at me, but only to roll her eyes. She showed her usual behavior as she waved me off, saying, "Not for me. You do whatever you want, but I'm not going to waste my precious day off."

Adriana's comments felt strange to me. What better use could there be of a free day than to explore the wonders of Neo Venezia? Well, there was the possibility of sleeping in. That was fun, too. But I couldn't do that. Not so soon after moving to Neo Venezia. Not when there was still over 2/3 of my tour books to get through, plus the feature of the latest edition of Mensile Undine. The waste would have been to stay inside. That would have been a waste of the summer day.

I changed out of my Orange Planet uniform into some more casual clothes. I could have worn that outfit to the cafeteria and saved myself the trouble, but it just felt weird. Being the only person in the cafeteria not in uniform felt wrong somehow. I must not have been the only person who felt that way, either. Several other people must have had the day off, but I never saw anybody out of uniform there.

Regardless, I changed out of my uniform and into some more ordinary clothes before venturing into the city. It made me look somewhat like a tourist from Manhome. I checked one last time with Adriana, who still didn't want to come, and then bid farewell.

The main entrance to Orange Planet was my next stop. It wasn't my first choice. I would have preferred to go out on a gondola. Neo Venezia was so much better by boat. The city was really designed for it. And at the same time it was designed for walking as well. There were two intertwined and interconnected transportation systems. Both gave such different views of the city. I was naturally partial to the boat. It was just that much more fun, bobbing and weaving around on the water while being both in control of as well as at the mercy of the tides.

Unfortunately that wasn't to be. I could only go out on a gondola if I had Ariel with me. That only happened about once a month. I so looked forward to those days. Not only was a traveling by gondola more fun than walking, Ariel always had such interesting things to say about the sights. She knew a lot more than any tour book did, like how the stone statues which lined the Doge's Palace had been hand carved using only tools available back in historic Venice. I wondered what the source of all that information was.

Today was not that lucky one day a month. I would need to settle for walking on foot, if settle was the right word to use. There were still more places to go than I could plan for, or than I could even count. I had taken to opening the tour book to the map and just starting to walk at random. I could have been more efficient. My system resulted in my doubling back countless times, but that was a good thing. I was in no hurry. I had plenty of time, and I wanted to learn more and more about my new home. As I walked, I almost wanted to get lost. There was no better way to find new things, and I almost never got lost in Orange Planet anymore. My system resulted in my learning lots of the hidden back-ways throughout the city as I made my meandering path around Neo Venezia.

Today I had a particular goal in mind, though. St. Marco Square, complete with a clock tower and lots more excitement described inside the magazine. I had my water. I had my hat. And I stepped boldly out of the protection of Orange Planet and into the summer sunlight.

I immediately had to squint my eyes against the sunlight. It wasn't a conscious thought. It just happened. It was so bright that it almost hurt. Almost. I held my hand up shield my eyes and looked up. The sky above was a perfect blue. It was a blue you couldn't buy from a paint store. There wasn't even the beginnings of a hint of cloud white anywhere to be seen.

The apple of summer had grown quite ripe on the tree. The weather forecast, so different than a weather schedule, had said that we were in the middle of a heatwave and it would last for the rest of the week. This was announced right before the horoscope for the day. The forecast for blood-type A Aquarians was, "Today you will learn a new side of the ones you love. Your lucky item is water." My curiosity of what that meant would be made me pay special attention to everybody. Horoscopes were usually right in some fashion at least, but regardless they were a wonderful lens to use to discover things I usually ignored.

If nothing else, the horoscope was correct about water. I could smell the humidity and taste the heat moments after leaving Orange Planet. I had already taken a drink from my bottle, and I was tempted to take another. I wondered if this was how an egg felt as it was being poached.

I knew the area around Orange Planet quite well by this point so didn't even bother checking my map. I knew where St. Marco Square was, roughly speaking, so I picked an appropriate direction and started walking. Sometimes I walked beside a canal. Sometimes I walked over one. Sometimes I was completely out of sight of the water. How different the trip looked as compared to when I went to St. Marco Square by gondola with Ariel. The paths touched in places and diverted in others, like there were two separate sides to Neo Venezia.

As I walked, I exchanged hellos and general pleasantries with the people I passed. I loved breakfast at that cafe, and I would need to come back soon. Thank goodness that that package from Manhome had finally arrived. Clothes did smell better after drying in the sunlight. It was the random exchanges of the day which made life so wonderful.

At the beginning of the trip out I only saw Undines from Orange Planet, along with their customers excitedly sitting in glimmering white boats. They were all uniformly going in the same direction as me. The early sunrise allowed tourists to start early, and the early morning and late afternoon were prime sightseeing time. Whenever I had a shift assisting customers meet Primas at the dock, there was always a surge of customers both before the morning heat started in force as well as after the sun had dipped low enough to create large areas of shade to hide in.

I was taking advantage of that exact same schedule. It would get hot later in the morning, which would make it a perfect time to relax and have lunch in the shade. I would possibly have some iced coffee. That was always a great way to endure the hot weather. The thought of it made me want some then and there, and it would only taste that much better as the day warmed up.

The further I got from Orange Planet the more variety of Undines I saw. The majority still wore the yellow of the Orange Planet uniform, but several others started appearing as well. Most common of the others were the red of Himeya. They were the other most prominent Undine companies on Aqua. They had been established decades before Orange Planet, who was a newcomer to Aqua.

It fit perfectly. I was a newcomer to Aqua. Orange Planet was a newcomer to Aqua. We were alike in many ways. However, it did make me wonder what life would have been like in Himeya. Were they that much different than us? They had to be, as steeped as they were in tradition and heritage. I wondered what that side of the Undine profession was like.

Were they as policy driven as Orange Planet? Did they use the same tour books as Orange Planet? Were the people there the same as they were in Orange Planet? Did they also use the Pair, Single, and Prima system like Orange Planet? There were so many ways they could be different, but there were so many ways they could be the same, too. It was like Manhome and Aqua. They were like night and day, except they were fundamentally the same at heart, except where they were different.

One thing for sure, though, was that I didn't think I could stand wearing the uniforms of Himeya. They looked similar to the ones at Orange Planet. Their gloves were especially stylish. However, I didn't think I could wear the high-heeled shoes they wore all day long. Considering how much I rocked the boat when I rowed, I would fall off. However, that might also be the point. Whenever I rode in a boat with Ariel, it felt far more smooth than when I rowed on my own. Maybe once I became a Prima the heels wouldn't matter anymore. It was something to aspire to. Until then, I liked the practical boots that Orange Planet used.

A shout caught my attention and ended my musings on imaginary other worlds where I worked in a different company.

I ran forward to see if I could help.

There was a oar held high in the air.

An Undine from Himeya stood poised ready to strike.

The oar fell into the canal, slapping through the water and soaking the shouting visitor in her gondola.

He gave another shout in response.

Was this what they taught in Himeya? I was sure I didn't want it. How could they treat their customers like this? I was just a Pair, but even I knew you didn't treat customers like this.

Then there was laughter.

Hahii?

"Do it again! Do it again!" two of the other riders in the boat laughed out loud. They had been sheltered by the body of the main recipient of the wave, but had still caught some residual spray.

"Enough! Enough!" the soaking wet man on the other side of the gondola laughed back.

The Undine, who stood tall with lightly tanned skin and long dark hair, raised her oar another time. "I'm sorry, sir, but majority rules." She flipped the oar down, barely jostling the boat as she did so. Another plume of cool water fountained up.

The small tidal wave flew up and over, but this time it flew over the first man and instead mostly drenched two men closest to the Undine. The lone man's laughter redoubled, while the two others shouted between gasps, "Not us! Him! He's the bachelor!"

The Undine looked up and locked eyes with me for a second. Something passed between us. I wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't recognition, although she did look familiar somehow. It wasn't understanding. However, there was definitely something. I knew I would not forget that Undine, with her collected confidence and striking appearance.

And then it was gone.

"Okay, okay," the Undine said again, and re-soaked the proclaimed bachelor.

The three men were still in gales of laughter as the Undine announced, "Gondola passing through!" They turned a corner and disappeared from my sight.

I wasn't quite sure what I had just seen. It was a whole different side to an Undine than what I had seen in the past. Describing the wonders of Neo Venezia was the obvious job of an Undine. Bringing people from anywhere to anywhere was expected as well. However, I don't think I had ever seen an Undine teasing her customers like that. It felt so uncharacteristic.

The customers had seemed to enjoy it. There had been laughter all around, and lots of ribbing between the friends. I could tell they had been having fun. I wondered what kind of Undine was able to interact with customers that way. Himeya must have been an incredible place to work to have Undines who could act like that.

There was a story here. One of who knew how many in the city? These stories would all interconnect into a giant web of Neo Venezia. And I had just seen a glimpse of one thread. It was enough to make me curious, but not enough for me to learn the whole truth. It was just like being an Undine. We see a glimpse of a passenger for a brief moment, we share in their lives for a single experience, and we make an impact which would hopefully last forever. And then the ephemeral contact disappears. We see a fragment of the story, and that was only a glimpse. It was a bit sad, but it was a bit sweet, too.

I was still musing on that as I continued onward. The shadows were already shortening, and before long the thick morning would turn into an oppressive heat in a way that no longer happened on Manhome. I threaded my way through the stairs and the campos, observing the different sizes of the public squares and how the decor changed based on the location and sizes of them. I was slowly picking my way to St. Marco Square while enjoying everything I could along the path. It was my free day, so I was free to do whatever caught my fancy. A flower store in an out of the way enclave caught my attention, and I ended up admiring the carnations the man there had on display.

By the time I had reached St. Marco Square, the number of Undines had balanced out. The tourist location was popular enough that no single company was overrepresented. From what I could see, the yellows of Orange Planet were about equal to the reds of Himeya. There were a few other colors and patterns scattered about, but not so many as to compete with our two large companies.

The pleasant murmuring of humanity suffused all of St. Marco Square. It was easy to imagine a world where cars had never been invented in this place surrounded by people, docks, and buildings. There wasn't a single wide road in sight. It was a slower world, where people were connected to each other by shoes and boats.

St Mark's Campanile stood out in the corner of St. Marco Square. Everybody entering the square stopped to take a look at the building, much like I did when I walked in. The tower looked nothing like the picture on the cover of Mensile Undine. The sun was at a different angle, and the church was nowhere in sight. It took me a few seconds to realize with a giggle that I was looking at an entirely different side of the building. I wheeled around the Piazza until I found a cluster of tourists holding up their own copies of Mensile Undine. I joined in the fun, holding up my copy of the magazine to compare the static image against the life-sized bell tower and church. Except for a different angle of light, they looked exactly the same. A pleasant feeling of satisfaction went through me upon that confirmation.

I opened the magazine and flipped to the article on St. Marco Square. Across the top of both pages was a spread which looked quite different from what was in front of me. Different, and yet the same. There was a panoramic view of a wide expanse of water with two large columns to either side of it, and two buildings even further to the sides. Both buildings had columns for walls, which looked so different than the buildings I was used to back on Manhome.

The building on the left of the picture looked familiar.

I put the magazine down and turned around. Sure enough, there was the water and the columns just behind me. It was the same St. Marco Square, only pictured from the other direction. I stepped back a bit to get a better view as the sun glinted off the waves on the water.

The article in Mensile Undine began, "'The drawing room of Europe.' That's what Napoleon had once called Piazza San Marco, also known as St. Marco Square. It is the largest public square in Neo Venezia." It went on to talk in great depth about numerous aspects of both the Piazza as well as the connected Piazzetta. They had all been lovingly recreated, and many parts had actually been shipped here from Manhome after they had been retrieved from the ocean floor.

The article featured a prominent picture of two large granite columns, but they didn't do justice to the massive pillars in front of me. The real-life columns looked large enough and strong enough to hold up the entire sky. These were capped with two large statues. On top of the western column was a statue of St. Theodore. On top of the eastern column was the Lion of Venice. That lion symbolized both the city of Venice as well as its patron saint, St. Mark. There were 14 such lions throughout the Piazza.

There was the Doge's Palace, where the Doge of Venice had once lived. In Neo Venezia there was no longer a doge, and the palace had been converted into a museum. It was next to the Bridge of Sighs and was near the entrance of the Canal Grande, which split the city into two. In the corner of the Doge's Palace was a stone sculpture depicting the Judgment of Solomon. I just had to walk there and take a look for myself. It looked amazing in Mensile Undine, and it looked even better in real life. It looked so ornate and delicate that it could have been made with metal foil, if not made from carefully molded plastic. It was almost impossible to believe that such detailed work had been carved out of stone by hand.

The church in the Piazza was impossible to miss. Along the eastern side of the square, next to the bell tower, was St. Mark's Basilica. Its Byzantine architecture stood out as being different than all of the other buildings I had seen, both elsewhere in Neo Venezia as well as on Manhome. The circular domed roofs especially caught my eye, and not only due to the golden decorations everywhere. According to Mensile Undine, it had once been known as the Church of Gold on Manhome. I could understand why. It shined in the daylight with the luster of a second sun.

Next was St. Mark's Campanile. It was the bell tower displayed on the cover of the magazine. Another picture of it graced the magazine insert, which showed the tower during sunset. The orange sky in the photograph cast the normally red tower in a deep crimson. It provided a very different view of the tower than the one which I was seeing with the sun high overhead. I would need to come back at night to see that side of the tower, too. When I did, maybe I would also be able to hear its five bells ringing out as they signaled the end of the day. The bells were not the original ones. They had been recreated. The whole tower had been recreated, and not only for the move to Neo Venezia. There had been multiple fires and several collapses from various circumstances even back in Venice, and each time the people there had rebuilt it. It was admirable, trying to preserve the heritage for future generations, and once again it had been rebuilt on Neo Venezia.

In the shadow of the tower was the Cafe Florian. It was another partial migrant from Manhome. The building had been reconstructed, modeled after the same cafe in Venice. But there was nobody actually inside it at this time. The tables and chairs were instead all set out in the open square ready for anybody who might want to stop for a snack. It was perfect timing. I was getting hungry.

The day had continued to heat up, and the sun was now blazing overhead. I found a seat at one of the tables in the shade and ordered a panini and some iced coffee. I had my magazine in front of me, but I didn't even bother reading it. There were too many other interesting things going on around me.

A couple was sharing a drink together. Endearingly the man and woman both fed each other from across the table. It was very sweet.

There was a man with a funny hat. He tipped his cup to me, and I gave a friendly wave back.

I couldn't hope to count the number of cameras around me. There was an equally countless number of people in the Piazza, plus several more in the form of passengers riding the gondolas in the harbor and the Canal Grande.

My iced coffee arrived. It tasted just as heavenly as I had imagined it would a few hours earlier. This really was the life. I couldn't imagine how it could be more perfect.

And then somehow it did become more perfect.

Some notes drifted in across the air. It was amazing. It was almost angelic. Her voice filled St. Marco Square and the Canal Grande with notes of grace.

It enfolded me. The cafe. Everybody in hearing distance. All were spirited away with the beauty of the moment.

People stopped talking. People stopped walking. People even stopped breathing. I know I did. Everything was still, trying to soak up every mote of music. The world had stopped, focused on that one pure voice.

Her voice echoed off the walls and the windows around me. It was almost like she was accompanying herself as she sung. And it was all she needed. It was perfect.

There was an old legend. I wasn't sure where it came from. It was about some creatures who sang so beautifully that they lured sailors into crashing their ships into cliffs just to get a bit closer to them. This singing could make me believe it was true. I had to see what it was. I was torn between holding still to hear what I could and frantically searching about to locate the source.

I settled with slowly turning my head from side to side, narrowing my field of vision and searching out the source of music. It wasn't the cafe. Or the bell tower. Or the Doge's Palace. Or anywhere on land. It sounded to be coming from the Canal Grande. That would mean one of the boats, but there were several of them. And the song surrounded me. It took a while, looking back and forth, before I could see what it was.

In the Canal Grande was an Undine surrounded by a patch of stillness. She was singing a canzone. She held one arm high and her other to her chest as she sang. Her soprano voice rang clearly through the air.

She sang for her customers in her boat. For the people in St. Marco Square. For all of us.

And her song continued. For how long, I wasn't sure. For a minute? For an hour? For too short, for sure. I wanted it to continue forever. But alas it didn't. It couldn't. Such perfection couldn't last.

As the last wisps of her voice faded into echoes, and then echoes of echoes, the whole world held it's breath.

And then spontaneously, like if she were an opera singer in the Fenice Theater, the applause started. I don't know who started it. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was somebody else. But the whole square erupted in applause.

The applause faded away, much like the Undine herself did. She didn't literally disappear, but it was almost the same effect. Once she stopped singing she blended back in with all of the other Undines on the water, all of whom intermingled with all of the boats in one giant collective body. If I hadn't heard her voice, I wouldn't have paid her any more attention than any of the other Undines who frequently passed the canals of Neo Venezia. But I had heard her, and I would never forget the look of that incredible Undine, or the side of her that she kept hidden from view.

Once that Undine's voice had disappeared, along with her echoes, and the applause, and the echoes of applause, it was as if life returned to St. Marco Square. People turned back to what they had been doing with a newfound spring in their step. The flower man gave a bit of an extra discounted price for his bouquet, and the waiters moved just that much faster.

In fact, all of the waiters were moving quickly. And the patrons of the cafe too. Everybody had stood up and had picked up their tables, chairs, and everything else.

"Hahii?" I asked to nobody in particular. I stood up in confusion. A waitress moved behind me to take my chair. The whole procession migrated across the square.

I wasn't sure what was going on. It was hard to see the connection to that Undine's singing, but it seemed like there must have been one I didn't understand. It felt like I had stumbled across a mysterious ritual.

My panini was finished by this point, as was my coffee, so I took this as my cue to leave. I moved against the tide of motion like a fish swimming upstream, and I wove my way to the bell tower. It reminded me of weaving through Marco Polo Universal Port, and of dodging through the crowds of people back on Manhome.

Mensile Undine was emphatic that the sight from the top of St. Mark's Campanile absolutely had to be seen, and I didn't need to be convinced to try. The short elevator ride was more than worth it. From the heights of the iconic landmark, it was easy to see all across Neo Venezia. It looked similar to my map, only far more pretty. The rows upon rows of buildings, interspersed with canals hidden from view, made it look like a pop-up book. In the far distance, I could see some of the windmills out in the distant ocean. They were lazily turning in circles from the invisible wind off the coast. The windmills must have absolutely loved the constant breeze. In the heat of the noon sun, even the slightest wisps of air felt positively heavenly to me.

I could see down into St. Marco Square as well. The overhead view showed a very different side of the square as compared to how it appeared from the ground. I could see all of the individual people moving about their lives, each going on their own little journey. I imagined that a woman I saw to be running off to meet her husband, or the couple buying some candy were arranging it as a surprise for their son's birthday. I could people-watch for hours.

But that was for another time. It would need to be a time when I didn't have the rest of the square, and the rest of Neo Venezia, to discover.

On the way back out of St. Mark's Campanile, I paused to look at the bells hanging overhead. I really wondered what they sounded like. I would definitely need to come back again sometime.

I made a very conscious decision to leave St. Marco Square by a different path than the one from which I had entered. I had entered from the Canale Grand, which allowed me to see the splendor of the square all at once. I left near the church. There was no reason to make the change, but there was no reason to not change, too.

As I walked towards my egress, I noticed a little door off to the side. It wasn't hidden as such, but it was inconspicuous. It blended in with the area around it, and it seemed like people just passed by without thinking about it.

I felt compelled to see where it led. It could have been just like that Undine from before. Maybe once it opened its mouth it would be just as incredible and show another perfect feature of Neo Venezia.

The door opened with a loud creaking noise. It felt like I was the first person to open it in years. Still, the door was not locked, and that gave me the nerve to go in. I reasoned that if it was off-limits, then it would certainly have been locked.

There was a flight of stairs right in front of me. Narrow. Dark. A bit slippery. I might have been the first person to climb it since it had been built. That was almost certainly a lie, but there was no evidence to the contrary. The musky smell and clammy feel in the dark passage made me feel like it hadn't been touched by a human in years.

I emerged into the sunlight right in the middle of a parade. There were a pair of horses right in front of me. Horse statues, caught forever frozen in mid-canter. And there was the leader of the parade right along the edge of the handrail. I said leader, although he was facing a different direction. And he was nowhere near the horses. And he was just a statue. A statue of a head. It was fun to imagine.

"Hello, Leader-san. What do you see here?" I asked. I could imagine a gallant response, as befit the leader of a parade.

Imagining was one thing but actually seeing for myself was quite another. I walked over to the stone bust to see how close my imagined response was to the truth. He was placed on a stone railing in the corner of the building, as if he had settled his head on the rail and was resting. I knelt down next to him and placed myself in a similar pose. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as it looked.

What he saw, and what I now saw, was St. Marco Square, but it was yet another side of it. It was different than the one seen in Mensile Undine. It was different than the one seen from the ground of the square. It was different than the one seen from the top of St. Mark's Campanile. I wondered how many different sides there were of the Piazza. There had to be at least one per visitor, and probably more than could ever be counted.

I could oversee the square, but in a way which was more intimate than when looking down from the top of St. Mark's Campanile. The people were eating, and dancing, and rowing, and shopping, and doing everything else. I could see them and was part of them, but I was apart as well. The biggest view was the scene of the Canale Grand. I could see all the way to the water, and I had enough of a height such that I could see each boat. However, I was not so far removed that I towered over them. They were terraced relative to each other, like the buildings of Neo Venezia as seen from the bell tower. I had a gorgeous view of both the boats and the buildings, the two most characteristic things of Neo Venezia. I had found something special here.

The lazy afternoon heat enticed me to stay there for a while and snooze the day away. Maybe I did for a bit. Maybe I didn't. I was lost to that lazy moment between resting and napping, where nothing ever happened, and nobody wanted anything to happen anyway.

I climbed back down the stairs much more carefully than I had climbed up them, and I emerged back into St. Marco Square. There was a crowd of people around, but nobody gave me a second glance as I left the secret door. I politely closed it behind me again on the way out. It gave a creak just as loud as when I had opened it to go up.

The next stop for me was Rialto Bridge. It was a large bridge which crossed the Canal Grande. It connected the two major halves of Neo Venezia. It was like Undines, who crossed both the water as well as the land of Neo Venezia, and who connected the people of Neo Venezia with the visitors from abroad.

That was a fun little thought. I continued to muse and try to extend the metaphor as a walked. I stayed in the shadows where I could as I wandered around. That proved to be rather difficult. The sun was high in the sky, and the shadows from the buildings were short. Every shard of shade I could find was a blessing, and the times I was forced into the sun made the next moment of relief that much more enjoyable.

I was walking along the side of a canal when I passed by a square placed by the edge of the water. It was a square very different than St. Marco Square. It wasn't a feature of the city design. It was instead a wooden square. It was a physical thing standing on a wooden stand.

"Hahii?"

I stopped and stooped next to it. I stared at it, and through both sides of it. It was a strange sight, and my mind whirled while I tried to think what it could be.

"What do you think that is?" a man asked me. I could see him sitting on a bench in the shade when I looked through one side of the wooden square. I moved a bit to the side so I could see him without needing to stoop down.

"I don't know..."

"Come on. Take a guess."

I didn't see any harm of it. I suggested, "Some kind of landmark?"

"Not even close," the man said. He held a painter's palette in one hand and a paintbrush in his other.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

"Does this look familiar?" he asked back. He tapped against his canvas in front of him with the handle of his paintbrush. I walked over to see what he was painting.

"Not really." I turned my head to the side to take another look at it. Sometimes it helped to do that.

"Come on. Take a closer look."

I leaned in to get a better look. He was painting a landscape, with a canal on the bottom and some buildings in the distance. It did look familiar, now that I thought about it. Where had I seen it before? Maybe one of the paintings in Orange Planet?

Then it became clear. I hadn't seen it at first, but once I did it made me wonder how I could have missed it in the first place. The canal was the same canal. The houses were the same houses. The scene was of the area right in front of me.

"You see it now?"

"Hahii. But what's that have to do with that square thing?"

"That? That's what I use to set up my picture. Why don't you have a look?"

He patted the bench next to him and I took a seat there. It put me at the same eye-level with the man. I then looked at the painting and picture-frame side by side. The living portrait of Neo Venezia was saved forever in still form of paint on canvas. Even half-completed, it captured the presence of the city in a way a camera simply couldn't.

"I have a hard time picturing in my head how things should look, so I use that to figure out what I want to paint before I do it."

"So you do this often?" I asked.

"I try to do it every day," the painter said.

"That sounds like a lot," I said.

"That sounds like a lot," somebody else echoed it at the same moment.

"Hahii?" I asked in response. It was only me who asked that, the echoing voice failing to join in this time.

"It's not only the carvings. They are designed into the doors, too. Marco Polo brought back chrysanthemums from China to Venice, and they subsequently became very popular there. This has been recreated in Neo Venice," another woman approaching in a gondola said. She was an Undine, a Prima, on a white boat. She wore a uniform with blue decorations, which was very different than the yellow of Orange Planet and the red of Himeya. The cap she wore over her long braided hair read "Aria" along its side. I wondered if that was the company name. I didn't recognize it.

The Prima stopped just at the side of the canal, with the customer staring at the side of a wall.

It's only natural when somebody stared at something so intensely that it would interest me as well. I got up and approached as close as the sidewalk would let me. The Undine saw me and greeted me without saying a word. Her face said everything it needed to. It was a welcoming and inviting look. She was a very friendly person.

In front of the customer was a carving in the wall. The carving was cut in a pattern which almost looked like a star-burst, with a circle in the center and rays shining out in every direction.

"You said they were designed into the doors too. Where on the doors?" the customer asked. She was the person who had coincidentally spoken out in unison with me earlier.

The Undine feathered the boat backwards a bit. She moved easily. Gracefully. The boat floated more smoothly than I thought possible. I didn't think that level of control was possible on even a still lake. The boat almost seemed to be a living thing which consciously chose to stop near one of the doorways on the street.

"Do you see that doorknob?" the Undine asked.

"It is the same shape," the customer exclaimed. She pulled out her camera and took several pictures.

I looked carefully, and I saw the same star-burst pattern I had seen on the wall. It was apparently a chrysanthemum pattern. I had never noticed the unusual doorknobs. Thinking back, I could feel that texture in my hand as I had walked through the city. I had had countless encounters with the doors, but I had never noticed it before. Who knew how many other secrets were in Neo Venezia, hidden in plain sight for those who would only notice them?

"Is that what that is?" the painter asked from where he sat on the bench. "As expected from one of the Three Water Fairies. I've lived in Neo Venezia my whole life but never knew."

"Hey, what are you doing over there?" the customer asked the painter I had been talking to earlier.

"This? I'm painting a landscape. Say, do you want to be part of the picture too?"

"Oh, can we?"

"Of course."

The Undine once again glided the gondola gently forward until it was nestled in the frame. She moved with the grace of a butterfly, the precision of a hummingbird, and the beauty of a flower. I don't know how she knew where to go, but she ended up perfectly positioned in the lower right of the scene. There the gondola stopped, as steady as if it had been tied to a palina.

I watched as the painter smeared some globules of paint onto the canvas on top of what was already there. He darted his paintbrush between the palette and the painting with practiced ease. There was a lot of white and blue and yellow and peach. The colors added together, but I didn't see how it at all resembled the Undine, the customer, or the gondola. Even as the painter started waving his brush back and forth over the surface, it remained an unrecognized globule of paint.

Then I blinked, and all of a sudden the indecipherable blobs of color started to form comprehensible shapes. It was like magic. I could see the white streak slowly turning into a sleek boat, and the peaches and blues turning into vaguely human shapes. There was a strange dot of gray which I couldn't place, though.

I looked up, and saw that the customer was pointing her camera at us. I had been so intent on watching the painting take shape that I hadn't watched the gondola at all. The customer and the Undine were watching us just as intently as the painter was watching them. Through the very same frame. We were like two sides of a window, with the wooden frame allowing both pairs of people to see the other.

"Done!" the painter proclaimed.

I looked back to the painting. In the brief time I had turned away the picture had finished taking shape. The painter was fast. He wasn't as fast as a camera, but he was definitely faster than I had expected. I had thought the process would take hours, but he had only taken a couple of minutes. I regretted not timing him.

The painting took longer to make than a photograph. It was less accurate than a photograph. However, the final outcome was somehow more real than a photograph. It held a color, a shape, and a three-dimensionality I had never seen in a photograph before. It somehow felt more lifelike than a still image. A camera could only show what it saw, not what was actually there.

The painter turned the painting around to show the pair in the gondola.

"Ara ara. How wonderful," the Undine said. "A completely one-of-a-kind painting."

It was exactly what I was thinking.

"I know. I love it," the customer emphatically agreed.

"Do you want it?" the painter offered.

"Is that alright?" the customer asked.

"Sure," he said. He stood up and crossed over to the boat. "I'm just glad you like it. Consider it thanks to Snow White for teaching me something new today."

The painter handed the painting over casually. The customer received it less so. She held it in both of her hands carefully, almost reverently.

"Maa, maa," the Undine said. "Thank you very much."

"What a lucky trip," the customer said.

And then the Undine and customer rowed away. They left just as gracefully as they had entered. I followed behind them.

Would I see that painter again? Maybe. Maybe not. Neo Venezia was big, but not as big as a city like Tokyo. The random encounters of the city happened as they would. I wouldn't be at all surprised if I saw him tomorrow, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I never saw him again. It made it all that much more important to treasure the time as it was.

I was heading towards the Rialto Bridge. It was a popular enough site that the Undine and customer might have been going to the same place as well. I moved much more slowly than the gondola did. There was no need to rush. This was my day off. But then the gondola turned right, and I had to turn left as the road and the canal split from each other.

It had been another chance encounter in a city full of chance encounters. Maybe I would see that Undine again. Maybe I wouldn't. One thing I did know is that if I ever saw her again, I would certainly remember her. She had left a picture in my heart as real the painting the painter had given to that customer. Along with that singing Undine from Orange Planet. Along with that confident Undine from Himeya. Three different sides of being an Undine. Who knew how many more there were?

I wondered what type of Undine I would become.

* * *

Last Updated: August 21, 2016


	5. 5: That Important Role…

Chapter 5: That Important Role...

Training made up the majority of my life in Orange Planet. That was due in large part to how I chose to spend my free time. My favorite way to pass the time was to be rowing out on the water in the practice harbor. I spent even more time there than I had with the simulators on Manhome. The simulators had infinitely more variety than the single harbor and single set of buoys, but the simulators couldn't hope to compete with the real thing. The other Undines whom I greeted and whom I had to avoid colliding with on the water were real. The sunlight which warmed my face with its magnificent presence was real. The gentle wind which was just enough to cool my excursions was real. Everything made me both willing and eager to spend day after day slowly paddling around in circles, squares, and other more complicated shapes.

However there was more to being an Undine than rowing, as Ariel had made clear to me. There were numerous other responsibilities in Orange Planet besides practice. As a Pair I was put in contact with all of them. Only half of my officially scheduled time was dedicated to practice. That left me with plenty of time for the other aspect of business.

Once a week I would staff the call center. There would be three of us in a quiet room near the public entrance of Orange Planet. We were all Pairs, as seen by the gloves we all were required to wear all the time.

My shift this particular day was with Ava and Annabel, two short and plump girls. Strictly speaking the three of us were more than was needed. We had enough business such that throughout the day usually one person would be on the phone helping a customer, and frequently a second person would call at the same time, but never in my short time there had we ever had a third customer call. It meant that on each shift there was always some time to talk between the two people not on the phone, and sometimes all three of us could chat as a group.

This led to many shortened conversations of minor abbreviated smalltalk. The superficiality of them was unavoidable, as any conversation could be interrupted at a moment's notice. We would end up talking about whatever. Food came up more often than it really should have, with us discussing what we had just had for lunch or looking forward to dinner. There was also the latest fashion trends. And any shopping which was overdue. And upcoming holidays. And the other banalities which made up everyday life. It was enough to pass the time, but not enough to really get to know the others in any real detail.

"I'm hungry," Ava said. Annabel was helping a customer at the time so the two of us necessarily spoke in semi-whispers.

"Are you still on that all-liquid diet?" I asked. I naturally assumed that that was part of the reason why Ava was so hungry. It had only been a couple of hours since lunch. "How is that going?"

"It's going good. I already lost a kilogram," Ava said. I looked at her, but I couldn't really tell.

"Congratulations," I said.

The phone rang, interrupting our short exchange as it always did with irregular consistency. It was my turn to pick it up. We had an informal system set up where the calls were taken in rotation. It was much easier than if everybody always jumped to answer each call. It made it easy for me to predict when it would next be my turn.

I picked up the ringing phone and a small video screen appeared in front of me. It showed a young woman sitting in what appeared to be a hotel room. There was a rumpled bed behind her, and I could barely see the corner of a brown suitcase just to the side of it.

"Good morning," I said. I took a quick glance at the nearby clock and noticed that I was actually slightly mistaken in my greeting and it was really after noon. I ignored that oversight and continued, "Welcome to Orange Planet. My name is Akari Mizunashi. Can I help you?"

"Hello. Umm... I'd like to make a reservation," the woman on the other side of the phone said.

"Of course. I would be happy to assist you. Did you have a specific Undine in mind?" I asked.

"Uhh... I don't know. Who's your best Undine?"

A voice from outside the view of the phone said, "Wanna help button."

The woman looked down, away from the camera, and said, "Not now. Mommy's talking to somebody."

There was a loud sniff, then a small cry, and then out and out bawling. The woman responded by swearing.

"I can wait if you would like," I offered. The sound of a crying child tugged at my heart whenever I heard it. We always had extra people in the call center. Waiting for a few minutes wouldn't cause any harm.

"Sorry," the woman said. She knelt down out of sight of the camera for a second. She then returned back in sight carrying a small child. He was a little boy, maybe somewhere around one-year old. She started bouncing him up and down in her arms. The little game helped some. The boy's wailing drew quieter and was interrupted by several breaks of gasping breaths before slowly spluttering quiet.

"There's a good boy," the woman said. She still cradled him in her arms as she turned back to me. "Sorry. Like I was saying, I don't know much about it. Just I heard one of your advertisements and I wanted to check it out. Give me your best Undine."

"Are you sure? If you would like a Single to give you a tour it would be much more affordable, and you would have a Prima there as well," I said. There was always a big push from management to try to get customers to go out with Singles. It made for good practice, although people were almost never interested. Still they wanted us to try to sell them, so I did.

"I'm sure. I want your very best Undine. This is my first time visiting Aqua, and I don't care about the cost," the woman said. It was the response I had expected. After taking the trip from Manhome to Aqua on what would possibly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it was hard to worry about the cost of a single tour.

"Okay. All of our Undine are very good in different ways. Some of them are better at giving informative tours, and some are better at showing hidden local spots. Some of them are better at canzone, and some of them are better at rowing. Which are you most interested in?" I asked. It was impossible for me to name a single Undine who was best at everything.

"I don't know. I just want the best. The best, you understand?" the woman said.

"I understand." I thought about it. There were several good Primas in Orange Planet, but only one of them was considered the very best. "That would be Siren, I mean Athena-san. She is considered to be one of the Three Water Fairies of Neo Venezia." I looked down at the reservation system and saw that, unsurprisingly, Athena's schedule was booked solid for the next several weeks. I should have checked it before I had said anything. A second more thorough check did show one opening, though, which was quite a surprise. It must have been a last minute cancellation. "If you would like, she does have an opening at 2:00 four days from now."

"Four days? That long?" the woman asked. The boy in her arms had completely settled down, but she continued to automatically bounce him in her arms while she spoke.

"I'm sorry, but that's the only opening she has. If you would like something earlier there are several other good Undines," I said. The calendar alone spoke volumes about which Primas were better or worse. By far Athena was the most popular. Her calendar was booked solid from the morning to the evening pretty much every day. Some other Prima were quite popular as well with only small pockets of availability, while still others had entire blocks of time empty for whichever customers happened to walk in at that time.

"No, that's fine," the woman said. "We'll wait for her."

"How many people will be coming?" I asked.

"There's three of us, including this little one."

"Can I get your name?" I asked.

"Put it under Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo," the woman said.

"Hahii," I entered the information, and the open block of time on Athena's calendar vanished. As I had been told to do, I re-opened the appointment and repeated everything out loud for confirmation. "So I have a reservation for three for Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo scheduled in four days at 2:00. I would recommend you try to arrive 10 minutes early. Do you know where we are located?"

"No, but I'm sure I can find it," the woman said.

"Okay. If you get lost or need anything else, you can always call us again. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thank you very much," the woman said. She then hung up, causing the video screen to vanish into a line just as quickly as it had appeared in the first place.

Equally quickly I looked at the other two Pairs. Ava was now on the phone, but Annabel was now sitting and staring at nothing in particular. She noticed I had hung up and immediately resumed the conversation right where we had left off.

"Do you think they'll have steak for dinner again? I hope they do," Annabel semi-whispered to me.

* * *

In addition to staffing the call center, I also staffed the customer reception. There were several areas involved with this. There were a couple of Pairs standing behind the greeting desk. A few more were behind the information desk, and a few more were at the cashier desk as well. We rotated around the different positions each day. It prevented me from really getting to know the other Pairs. The only Pairs I consistently met besides Adriana were the people in my small group of Undines under Ariel's guidance, and then only during our daily rowing practice.

Of the customer reception positions, the most staffed and common role was escorting customers to the Primas giving tours of the city. Despite my best efforts, and the efforts of Orange Planet as a whole, all of the customers still very much preferred having a Prima for an Undine than having a Single. The Single tours were substantially less expensive than Prima tours, and they were actually more costly to operate than a Prima tour as the Single tours always included a Prima expert with them as well, but that didn't make a difference. Even if the Single tours were free I doubt it would have had much of an effect on their lack of popularity. The trip from Manhome to Aqua was a long one, and most tourists didn't want to spend their limited time on a non-Prima tour. Locals may have been more willing to, but most of them rarely went on tours in the first place.

I was staffing one of those escort positions. The majority of the guests had reservations, but there were a fair number of people who just showed up. It was up to the reception desk and the cashiers to determine the logistics of who went where. I only needed to take the customers to whom I was told. This position always had a lot more walking around than the other reception positions. It gave me a bit of time to meet some of the Primas of the company, but typically only enough to put a name with a face. There would be a quick introduction during the hand-off, but there was never enough time to say anything beyond a brief greeting before the customer would be helped into the gondola and I would return back to wait for another customer.

There were a lot of different visitors. Most of them were from Manhome. We had a few other tourists from other cities around Aqua as well. It was relatively unusual for a resident of Neo Venezia to take a tour with us, but it wasn't entirely unheard of. Sometime they were on family trips. Sometimes they were celebrating special events. Sometimes I would know why they had come. More often it would forever remain a mystery to me. I didn't mind. It let me invent all sorts of stories behind the lives of the people I met.

Despite the busyness of this position, there were enough Pairs that I was able to exchange a couple of words here and there with whomever I happened to be standing next to.

"I'm so jealous of you. You always seem so happy, Akari-chan," one of the other Pairs said to me. Her name was Abby, and she stood a half-head shorter than me. She was a thin woman on whom the Orange Planet uniform managed to look baggy.

"Do I?" I asked. It was true that I generally felt happy with life, but I thought that was everybody here. How could an Undine not be happy? It was a dream job in an amazing city on a fantastic planet.

"You do. You're always..." Abby started saying, but then cut herself off. A smile snapped in place around her mouth, if not her eyes, as she turned and greeted the approaching customers and Pair, "Welcome."

"Abby-san, these people have a 2:00 reservation with Archie-san," the Pair by the name of Alba said.

"I understand. If you will please follow me," Abby said. She led the small family off to the waiting gondolas.

There weren't any other Pairs nearby, and I was left alone to stand there and observe my surroundings. The reception area was comfortable and inviting. There was a lot of wood and plaster in light colors all around. The warm reds and yellows added to the thick carpeting and bright lights to welcome any visitor. The area was veritably teeming with humanity. There was a modest crowd of visitors meandering around, looking at the large map of Neo Venezia on the wall, talking to the receptionists behind the desks, and looking at the different displays around the area. There were several Undines casually standing or walking about as well. Our bright white uniforms stood out against the wide variety of colors the visitors wore.

Alba returned again, this time with a small group. They looked like a family. There was a woman and a man, and the man was carrying a small baby in his arms. Alba said to me, "Hello, Akari-san. These are Athena-san's 2:00."

The woman looked familiar somehow. I puzzled over it until I realized where I had seen her before. I said, "Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo, right? Welcome to Orange Planet." The smile on my face grew yet more excited.

"That's right. How'd you know that?" Mrs. Bernardo asked. "Wait, you're the Undine who helped me schedule this tour. You get around a lot, don't you?"

I gave a nervous laugh at her assertion. I said, "They do keep us busy. Thanks, Alba-san. I'll bring them to see Athena-san."

Alba muttered a quick thank you and then quickly left our mini-reunion.

"If you will just follow me," I said. I then led the Bernardos away from the reception area and into the halls of Orange Planet.

The corridors of the building were just as warm as the reception area. The painted walls, bright lighting, and carefully controlled temperature kept all of Orange Planet uniform in all areas not directly exposed to the elements.

"You said you were from Manhome, right? What brought you to visit Neo Venezia?" I asked.

"It's this little one's birthday. He just turned one-year old," the man said. The boy grinned and waved his arms in response.

"That does sound like fun. Have you been enjoying the city?" I asked.

"It's been alright, I guess. It's a bit run down, though, don't you think? The walls of our hotel are all falling apart. I'm surprised they haven't fixed them yet. The Palazzo Giustinian came highly recommended," Mr. Bernardo said.

"The Palazzo Giustinian..." I repeated to myself. That name sounded familiar to me for some reason. I was fairly certain I had seen an entry of it in one of my tour books. "Isn't that the place where Princess Louise Therese of France once lived?"

"Maybe. I think I saw some sign or something about some princess at the entrance," Mrs. Bernardo said.

I stopped and turned to the three people I was escorting. I said, "That's one of the buildings they moved from Manhome. Just think, that wall could be the same one which they had for the past 1000 years. You could be staying in the same room that royalty slept in. Isn't that exciting?"

"You think so?" Mr. Bernardo asked. "I guess I didn't think of it that way."

I resumed walking towards the harbor, with the Bernardo family following just behind me. I asked, "Have you had a chance to see the indoor garden by your hotel? It's full of chrysanthemums. That's kind of like the flower of the city. I just love the way they make it smell. It makes the whole building feel like its in bloom."

"No, we haven't. Do you think the Undine we're going to will show it to us?" Mrs. Bernardo asked.

"I'm sure she will if you ask her," I said.

There was an abrupt change in atmosphere as we crossed the threshold and entered the harbor. The lush carpeting disappeared, replaced by sturdy waterproof stone beneath my feet. The grays and whites and blues of the stones and pillars made the area much more emotionally cool.

Despite the canal and large body of water therein, the ground remained dry for the most part. The water this far into the building was bereft of large waves, and only small sprinkles flecked up onto the land. The canal was connected to the ocean, but all of the turns of the passage and its constrained width only allowed reflections and reflections of reflections of waves to enter. The main source of disturbance was the Undines as their oars entered the water and their gondolas washed around. If anything, I was actually surprised how wavy the water was.

There were several Primas around the area. They were unmistakable with their two uncovered hands. I was slowly getting to know them. There were still more who were unknown to me than I knew, and of the ones I recognized the majority remained nameless to me. At least I did know Athena. She was the Prima whose voice I had heard drifting across St. Marco Square; the Prima whose canzone had virtually stopped time. I had only learned of her moniker and exactly how appropriate the name Siren was several days after that encounter.

She was holding her gondola against the edge of the land as I approached with the Bernardos. She was visibly bobbling just as much as I felt like I did whenever I practiced with Adriana and April and Ashley. She was alone, which meant that she must have only just dropped her previous customers off. Her schedule was always booked solid.

"This is Athena-san. She's also known by the name Siren. You should have her sing a canzone while you are out in Neo Venezia. She's really, really good," I introduced. I then did the same for Athena, saying, "These are Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo, and their son. He just turned one year old. They're visiting us from Manhome."

"Is that so? Happy birthday," Athena said vaguely in the direction of the little boy.

"Did you hear that? She's saying happy birthday to you. Can you say thank you?" Mr Bernardo said. He took the boy's arm and had him wave back to Antonia. He then said for the boy, "Thank you."

I stood back as they talked a bit more, and then Athena helped them onto the gondola. It was the same stance and the same motion I had practiced so many times with Adriana and April and Ashley that I had lost count of the number of times I had done it. Athena did it just as inexpertly as we did. Every time I straddled the small gap between the gondola and land I worried that the gondola would slide away and cause my legs to slip out from under me, and I could see Athena struggling with the exact same problem beneath her shaking legs.

Athena allowed the man and woman to find their seats before she pushed off into the water proper. If nothing else Athena did show her superiority over my skills here. She was much faster than I was during practice. I think she was better than Adriana and the others as well, although that was to be expected of a Prima over a Pair.

They pushed forward towards the exit leading into Neo Venezia which left me alone again. This left me with nothing else to do but observe my surroundings here as well. It was just as busy as the reception area, but it had a very different emotional feel. The Prima and visitors all moved with a sense of purpose and intent. The area had a mugginess which clung to skin and a heat which made itself known even in the ample shade. I wondered how it felt there during a snowy winter.

There weren't any piers in the area. This was not an area for long-term mooring of boats. Instead the entire waterfront was merely the walkway. Orange Planet depended on the skill of its Undines to allow for the successful pickup and drop-off of customers without scratching their white gondolas or allowing a visitor to fall into the water. The only concession was the palinas which lined the edge with about two gondola lengths between each one. This was a place where Primas could tie their boats down to let them relax for a bit while they waited for their next customer.

I turned away from the water and the scene to return back to the reception area. There was always enough customers to keep the escort Pairs busy despite our large number. The return back into the hallway brought the exact same transition as before, only in reverse. The thick humidity blew away. The warm ambiance surrounded me even while the cooler air refreshed my skin and clothing in a matter of seconds. The carpeting felt as soft as a pillow as compared to the hard stone at the harbor.

There were only a couple of turns before I was back into the main reception area. Everybody had moved since my departure. It was like the droplets of rain on a window. They moved in an unpredictable way, but in a pattern which was familiar none the less. A group of visitors was examining the map of the city. An Undine at a desk was helping a customer find a Prima. Everything still felt the same as it had a few minutes prior to when I had left.

I resumed my place in waiting for the next customer to bring back to the Primas.

* * *

There were some occasional other responsibilities Ariel or somebody else would ask me to assist with. One such example was the cleaning and maintenance of the gondolas. There were dozens of them, maybe even hundreds. I hadn't done an exact count. I would need to do that at some point. Of the multitude of black gondolas there was one in particular I was getting to know, though. It was the one which Adriana and I used most often during our practice sessions. It was also the same gondola which I and the others in Ariel's group had been asked to clean this time.

The wooden boat was currently resting on a stand out of the water, about waist-high relative to me. The boat had been much heavier than it looked. In the water the gondola floated and bobbed on a whim. It gave the impression that the whole thing was something like a large flower petal. It was only when it left the surface of the water that its full weight became apparent. There was no way that I could have lifted the boat out of the water, but that was a moot point as there was a large crane which easily transferred the boat out of the water and onto the stand.

The gondola we had was far from the immaculate white gondolas reserved for the Primas. Not only was it a black practice gondola, the bottom of it was coated with slime and shells. They glistened in the light, and the thick smell felt richly organic. They were just below the water line, hidden away from the facade presented to the world. Our job was to clear that bottom of the months of growth such that the truth below the surface of the water matched the image from above.

In preparation for this cleaning, Ashley had already retrieved several devices and tools. These were splayed out across the ground beside the gondola. There was a plethora of regular cleaning supplies like brushes and sponges and the like. There was also several cans of liquids and creams which I didn't recognize. The thing which really confused me were the metal spatula-like things there.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" I asked.

"That's easy," April said. "The first thing we need to do is use these," she picked up one of the spatulas, "to scrape these," April poked one of shells encrusted on the bottom of the gondola, "off. Then we'll soap off the gondola, put a waterproof seal on it, and then give it a wax finish."

I picked up one of the spatulas. It was slightly flexible in my hand and had just enough give to remind me of the rigid strength of metal. I moved over to one of the sections of the gondola, poised the tool, but then had second thoughts. "Is this going to scratch the gondola?"

The boat already had numerous scrapes and nicks and scratches for all to see both above and below the water line, but I still was hesitant. I didn't want to add any more if I could help it.

"Who cares? It's just a practice gondola," Ashley said.

"Hahii..." I said. I still didn't want to add to the list of injuries. I muttered a quiet, "excuse me," and then carefully slid the flat of the metal against the wood.

Ghuk.

The metal piece clicked against one of the shells on the wood. I pressed harder and angled the tool. I slid it again, and the shell peeled off. There was just enough resistance to give me a satisfying feeling of accomplishment, but not so much as to cause me any concern. The visible progress helped reinforce this feeling of progress. I was one centimeter closer to completing the task.

Ghuk.

I peeled off another shell. It fell to the ground and gave a slight crackle upon hitting the stone below.

Ghuk.

"This is fun," I said. It was, too. It was like popping the small bubbles packages were wrapped in, or prying out loose rocks wedged into a shoe, or cleaning the last dish from a dirty sink. I got a satisfying feeling of completion and wellbeing as I made my slow and steady progress.

Nobody responded to my comment.

April interrupted my trance-like rhythmic work by saying, "Hurry up, Akari-chan." It prompted me to look up and see that the other three had already completed their sections. I still had a bit more along the bottom of the boat.

"Hahii." I redoubled my efforts and tried to catch up. My haste made me accidentally gouge a small nick along the bottom of the gondola. I said a quick, "Sorry."

"Done," I proudly announced a minute later.

"Okay. Don't go celebrating. We still got a lot to do. Grab a sponge and start cleaning. The soap's in the water already," Adriana said. She plunged a giant sponge into an equally large bucket of water and pulled it out.

That answered one question I had had. I had been told to not wear my Pair gloves, and none of the others were wearing theirs either. Now I knew why.

I grabbed a sponge and filled it with soapy water. I then returned back to the gondola and proceeded to run it along the area I had scraped clean a few minutes earlier. The nick I had added stood out to me as if it was highlighted, and I felt a renewed moment of guilt when I passed over it.

"Stand back," April said. She had a water hose in her hand. Without waiting she started spraying water against the boat. The splash of water droplets in the air flew everywhere, including onto me as I hurried away from the gondola. It was just enough to feel like a passing summer shower. There wasn't enough to penetrate the cloth of my uniform, but the coolness splashed against my face and my still wet hands.

April quickly went around the gondola, haphazardly directing the water hose here and there. I couldn't be sure but I think she directed the spray of water across the entire boat. She didn't move with any pattern I could tell. She just gave a single pass around the entire boat before putting the hose away.

"Okay, now dry it off, and put on the waterproofing sealant," Adriana instructed.

I looked down and saw the towels, but didn't see which of the cans or jars or bottles contained the sealant. I hesitated.

Ashley saw my hesitation and said, "It's the one with the smiley face."

"Thanks."

It was a strange description. I was pretty sure I would have noticed a face on one of the containers, but I was pretty sure that I hadn't. Regardless I took another look. With Ashley's priming I thought I could recognize the bottle she was referring to. It had an interesting logo which looked similar to a pair of eyes across the top of the sun with text curved along the bottom not unlike a mouth. It did look a great deal like a smiling face at a quick glance. I hadn't seen it at first, but now that I had there was no way I would ever not see it in the future.

I picked up a towel and one of the bottles and returned to my corner of the gondola. After all of the metallic scraping earlier, wiping down the soaped and rinsed surface felt silky smooth. I could feel the slight grain of the wood through the worn towel as I methodically dried the entire surface of my area, and again as I coated it with sealant. I used was the same motion for all three efforts: soaping, drying, and sealing. The material I used changed, as did the resistance I felt, and the intention of the motion. However the motion itself remained the same.

It was the same when I put on the wax coating. The thick substance was simultaneously slippery and clingy. It had a precise speed it wanted to move at and anything either faster or slower felt wrong somehow.

"Come on, Akari-chan, hurry up. You're the last one. You're holding us all up." Adriana was standing there looking at me. She was flanked on both sides by April and Ashley.

I was only about halfway done with my portion.

"Sorry," I said guiltily. It was a shame to hurry things, but the other three were watching me intensely. The wax felt thick as I tried to force it on, and I wasn't very satisfied with the irregular result. I still felt like I wasn't going fast enough for the others. In fact, Adriana got to the point that she grabbed her supplies and helped me finish a bit as I got close to the end.

After that, the final thing to do was to move the gondola back to the water. The moving crane made the task just as simple as moving out of the water had been. I could almost imagine the boat floating slightly higher in the water now as a result of our efforts. I was sure it was my imagination. And with that, the task was complete.

* * *

By far, the afternoon task I most enjoyed was when I could practice rowing in Neo Venezia with Ariel. These trips were too infrequent and always too short. By this point I had lost track of the number of times I had explored the city on foot, but I knew I had managed to row in the city exactly three times. I took immense pleasure in each and every one of those times.

The first trip had been through the Canal Grande, ending at St. Marco Square. I didn't say very much on that trip. Ariel instead spent the time talking about the history of the buildings and the city. There was a little overlap between what Ariel told me and what the tour books said, but most of it was completely different. Especially interesting to me was a random side building she highlighted. It looked no different to me than any other building, but Ariel spun a fascinating story about how the first colonist to settle Neo Venezia had lived there. The building had been replaced several times, but we did get close enough to see the small plaque which had been erected to commemorate the location.

The second trip had been to visit the Piazzale Roma along the edge of the city. This trip Ariel quizzed me as I went and asked me what I knew about the history of the city or of any given building. I fumbled through the little bit of Neo Venezian history I knew, and most of the buildings were unknown to me. I knew Ariel was not impressed with my knowledge, but I couldn't tell if she was disappointed or not. Fortunately I had coincidentally just read an article on Piazzale Roma so I knew it was one of the major transit areas of the city as it was easily accessible by ground vehicles, water vehicles, and aerial vehicles. However I was not able to answer Ariel's questions about the bus schedules and locations.

The third trip had been to a large statue in an out of the way place along the edge of the city. This location had been completely unpredictable to me. After the trip I had searched all my tour books but didn't see anything about it. According to Ariel, the statue had been a gift from a rich man from Manhome who had been enthusiastic with the construction of Neo Venezia and the preservation of Italian culture. After the amazing lore Ariel had provided of it, I was surprised it was so unremarked upon.

On each trip Ariel would direct me which way to go as we traveled. Take a left here, go straight there, or wherever. It was like a little game where I tried to predict in my head what our destination would be. After each turn my list of possible destinations shrank. I had yet to succeed in my guessing, but I was sure if I kept at it I would one day be right.

Ariel would spice up the trip as we traveled by pointing out the little things which surrounded us, like the types of paint used for the murals and the history of the artist of the mosaics we passed by. I wasn't sure where she learned all these details. The big sites were discussed in the tour books, but I could find no mention of the little things anywhere.

It never ceased to amaze me how much history was behind all the little things around the city. On the one hand a little statue of the Virgin Mary was indistinguishable from countless other ones which had been made. On the other hand somebody must have labored for days around a piece of stone to carefully chisels out each curve of hip and fold of cloth. I could practically feel the care and emotion which the creator imbued into the statue.

On this fourth trip we took yet a different path than the first three. That was great in my opinion. The earlier I could experience all of Neo Venezia the happier I would be, but I was sure I would never be able to actually experience all of it. It was an endless quest I was more than satisfied to pursue.

Ariel directed me left, then straight, then left, then right. We wound through the maze-like canals of Neo Venezia. Each time she did so I would update my guess of where we could be going. I probably spent a bit too much thought on that, as I hadn't noticed my gondola drifting to the right until...

Thud.

The gondola knocked sharply into the canal wall. It was a solid impact which jarred me and my passenger. I had to flail my arms a bit to keep my balance. It seemed like the gondola had just received a bit more personality.

"Akari-chan!"

"Sorry. Sorry," I said. I hurried to try to fix things. The boat started moving left. The back of the boat did. This resulted in the gondola pivoting to face the wall even more and thus block half of the canal.

"Sorry!" repeated, louder to my sudden audience of blocked fellow canal travelers. There was an Undine from Himeya to my front and a mailman behind me. They were both waiting. I felt bad for them.

By kicking off against the wall in the front of the gondola I was able to somewhat right the boat. I then walked back to my proper place and started rowing again. The gondola rocked a great deal, but I was able to get the boat back in the right alignment and out of the way. The first thing I did was move to the side and let the other gondolas pass by me.

Both the mailman and the Undine from Himeya went on their way without a word to me. I would have expected something from them. A shout. A glare. I braced myself for a casual sign of annoyance due to the delay. Instead both just patiently rowed on. They barely even looked at me.

I followed suit. I didn't say anything as I set out again and returned to the original path Ariel had directed me to travel. The only evidence of my passing was the rugged and choppy wake my gondola left behind as I forced it across the crests and valleys of water.

After that I put much more of my concentration on rowing the gondola. While I continued to think about where we could be going, I didn't want to have a repeat of that earlier collision. I continued to play my mental guessing game of trying to predict where we were going throughout the trip until I was forced to concede I had lost when Ariel said, "Pull over here."

"Hahii." I said. I stopped in the middle of the canal where she directed, near a large set of double doors. It was a small and out of the way canal so there was no danger of blocking anybody.

Ariel reached out beyond the gondola and pushed against the doors. She was reaching pretty far. I was surprised that she managed to keep her balance. I felt compelled to move a bit to the side to help counterbalance the boat.

Once the doors were open Ariel returned to a more neutral seating position, which allowed me to restore back to a more standard standing one. She said, "Okay, go in here."

"In there?" I asked. It was true the water was deep enough to support the gondola, but it was also a building. I could see the remnants of wooden tiles lining the bottom of the water, and the only light which entered was through holes in the ceiling.

"You heard me," Ariel said.

"Hahii." I maneuvered the gondola at an angle and started rowing it into the building.

The makeshift man-made tunnel had wide corridors and weathered columns. It looked not unlike an old and abandoned Orange Planet. The paneling along the side of the passage was equally weathered. I could see the gradients of color where the waterline had varied with the tides, between the encrusted areas permanently covered by water up to the edge where the highest tide would never reach. There were some stairs along the side wall leading up into the semi-darkness, although there was no way to row a gondola up them.

We pushed onward to the left instead, traveling through some archways and large doors. They had been designed for pedestrian traffic, which made for some tight fits as I followed Ariel's turn-by-turn directions.

"This used to be an old library," Ariel said as we continued onward. "That used to be the section they kept all the children's books." Through an open door in the faint light I could barely see the makings of some colorful toys and playful beasts painted on the ceiling. "And that used to be where they kept the history books." That room was much more nondescript with a plain dark decor all around and above the bookshelves.

"What happened to this place?"

"They had to move a few years ago when the land here sank too much."

"Haa..." The building was steeped in haunted nostalgia, and I embraced the feeling as I continued to make my way forward.

"Straight ahead here," Ariel said.

There was something different. I had been rowing through a murky darkness thus far, but in front of me I could see some bright sunlight streaming out from a door. It marked a change in the ambiance. The area slowly grew brighter and brighter as I made my way towards the light. It was a gradual enough shift that by the time I reached the door my eyes had fully adjusted to the far brighter light streaming down from a large hole in the ceiling.

The shaft of sunlight spotlighted the center of the room and fell directly onto a large floral tree. The vibrant coral flowers were backdropped by a lush and verdant canopy. The tree stood tall, reaching above the second floor and straining to the sky above. It was amazing how the tree had managed to make its way into this place and find a raised place of land on which to settle and flourish.

"Wow," I muttered.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Ariel asked. "This used to be a food court. The tree here was a decoration. That used to be a skylight up there. It collapsed after this place was abandoned. This tree's just continued to grow ever since."

I nodded in agreement to Ariel.

"If you come back in a few months you might be able to get some of the fruit. It's a local legend that it brings you good luck, like how this tree's managed to survive despite everything."

"Hahii."

We stayed there for another minute before Ariel directed me to continue forward. Not turn around like I had expected, but instead to continue forward. There was another set of doors, a couple more passages, and I emerged outside through an arch which was clearly a door frame but which lacked any sort of actual door.

I stood there waiting for the next direction until Ariel said, "Okay, your challenge now is to get back to Orange Planet."

"What?"

"When you become a Prima you can't afford to get lost with a customer. You'll need to know all of the city," Ariel said.

"Hahii..." I knew I was in trouble. I had a vague idea where I had been before I had entered the building. It wasn't a precise knowledge but rather it was a vague idea of how to get back to Orange Planet. Once I had gone through the abandoned library and come out the other side, though, I was completely turned around. I didn't recognize anything around me, and I was completely disoriented. I wasn't even sure which direction I should go to get back to the entrance of the library, let alone back to Orange Planet.

I took one last look around before picking a direction at random. Left as it happened. I started rowing. My normal slow rowing was now closer to hesitant. The buildings seemed more imposing, the channels seemed longer, and everything felt slightly less welcoming. The slow pace was purely a reflex of my worry. There was still no chance of accidentally colliding with another boat as besides me the canal was completely empty.

Normally the ambiance of Neo Venezia echoed itself. I may not be able to recognize a particular building, but the motif of laundry hanging out to dry or flowers striving to grow in a windowsill was repeated enough to be comfortable. This had instead changed to be a dizzying mass of confusion. Everything was just similar enough for the corner of my eye to think it saw something I recognized. Invariably I didn't.

If I were lost by myself I wouldn't have minded. It would have just been an opportunity to learn something new about the city that had so much left to learn. Under Ariel's watchful gaze and with her challenge, though, what could have been a novel exploration was instead a bubbling mass of nerves. She split her time between watching the front of the boat and watching me as I rowed forward stroke by stroke. I think she did that normally, but I hadn't felt the weight of her gaze until this point.

By the third campo I passed I had a revelation. I wasn't sure where I was. I was new to the area and was still relatively new to Aqua as a whole. That couldn't be everybody, though. Surely a local person would know where I was.

I craned my neck up as high above the waterline as I could to get a better view of the area. I was in luck. I recognized somebody. He was actually that same painter I had recently met that time I had encountered Snow White. The empty wooden rectangle was impossible to forget.

"Hello," I called out.

"Ah, Undine-chan," he said back. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Still painting, I see. What's your subject today?" I asked. I could take a guess. The wooden rectangle made it easy to line up the subject of his art.

"It's that tree over there," he said. He pointed out the tree in question sitting in the middle of a campo. It was bereft of flowers or anything besides the green foliage. It was impossible for me to tell what kind of tree it was. There was a smattering of twigs and fallen flowers on the ground beneath it, although even that didn't help me recognize it.

"That looks nice," I said.

"I think so. I'm doing a time series here. My plan is to do one painting of this tree each week for a year. Then I can line it up and people can experience a full year of this campo all at once."

"That sounds like fun. Let me know when it's done. I want to see it," I said.

"Will do."

I moved to leave, which reminded me of why I had stopped in the first place. I gave a slightly nervous laugh before gathering the courage to ask, "Sorry. This is kind of embarrassing. Can you tell me where this is? I kind of got lost."

The painter looked at me, then gave a broad smile and said, "Of course, of course." He stood up from his bench and walked close to the water's edge. He then pointed forward. "If you go down that way, take a right over there by that big metal arch." I nodded in understanding. "The canal will go forward a bit and then split. Take the left path, and duck under the bridge on your right. That will take you straight to the Grand Bridge."

"Hahii," I nodded. "Thank you very much."

"Any time, Undine-chan."

The painter returned back to his bench and I started rowing forward again. Everything seemed much more comfortable. I now had a general idea of where I was, and some specific directions too. Space had popped back into normal proportions, and I rowed forward with renewed confidence.

"That was bad, Akari-chan. Don't do it again," Ariel said. It was the first reminder to me that she was in my gondola. I had completely forgotten during my talk with the painter.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't disrespect your uniform. You're a representative of Orange Planet. You can't go around asking for directions."

"What else was I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Not get lost," Ariel said dismissively. "If you ever become a Prima you can't go around asking where you are, especially if you have a customer. It's an embarrassment, and you'll put the company in disrepute."

"Hahii," I said. I still wasn't sure why my asking for help was wrong, but that didn't stop me from feeling penitent.

Regardless I did feel some measure of relief when I exited the small side passage into the grandeur of the Canal Grande. It was a well trafficked place, and familiar enough that I could easily find my way back to Orange Planet.

Overall my fourth trip with Ariel into the city was as different from my third one, as my third one had been to my second one, and as my second one had been to my first one. There was a bit of a sour note with how it ended, but that was nothing new. Each of the trips I had had had had a bit of an upsetting event due to my inexperience. That didn't stop me from enjoying the experience as a whole and looking forward to the next time.

* * *

Last Updated: October 29, 2015


	6. 6: That Distant Land of Hope…

Chapter 6: That Distant Land of Hope...

Summer continued its march onward, and as it did so it brought more and more of the same. More relaxingly warm days. More brilliantly hot days. More meals in the Orange Planet cafeteria. More meals around Neo Venezia. More exploring the city on the weekends. More work around Orange Planet on the weekdays. More practicing everyday. Definitely more practicing everyday. Practice of all kinds.

There was question and answer practice. There was canzone practice. There was smiling practice. There was site information practice.

I learned about the Fenice Theater, and the Murano islands, and the Canal Grande, and St. Marco Square, and dozens upon hundreds upon countless other sites all around Neo Venezia. And of course there was rowing practice. Lots of rowing practice.

The majority of my rowing practice was done in the harbor. I would go around and around in circles, squares, triangles, and weird other shapes. I would go clockwise, counterclockwise, crosswise, and any which way between the buoys. I had become intimately familiar with the training harbor. The beautiful scenery ensured that I never got bored with it as the weeks turned into months and summer neared its end. I couldn't get tired of watching the view as it changed day by day. The steamy mists rising from the water which caused the city to look like it was the setting of a mystical theater performance. The cooling breeze on an overcast day, chopping up the water and making the boat skip like it was alive under my feet. It had as many personalities as any person I had ever met.

And there was the monthly trip I got to take into Neo Venezia on gondola with Ariel. Each of those trips was short. We would go out somewhere in the morning and then return before lunch. It was still the highlight of the day. The practice in the dynamic canals of the city was much more engaging than the sheltered waters of the harbor, and they were more challenging as well. I was rapidly learning about the gondola under my feet, although to my chagrin it had paid the price of this education in the form of dings I had added to its history.

On those monthly practices in Neo Venezia we would typically visit one of the more popular sites around the city. As I rowed, Ariel would both talk about and ask questions of the things we passed on the way towards our destination. Then when she would later ask I would dutifully repeat what Ariel herself had told me, and then add what I had learned through the tour books plus the bits I had discovered on my own. When she answered I would listen attentively and allow myself to be swept away with the lore I had previously not known. I loved how no matter how much I thought I knew there was always more to learn. Ariel would have all of these little snippets of trivia and stories which kept me engaged. I would inevitably learn something new whenever we went out. Usually I would learn a great number of somethings.

Without a doubt my trip into Neo Venezia was the highlight of the whole month.

It was amazing how the smallest things each day could change everything. If I was on foot or on gondola. If I was alone or with Ariel. If it was the morning or the afternoon. If I was intensely studying the location or casually visiting as a tourist. If I was hungry or satiated. If the day was sweltering hot or comfortably warm. All of these little details would add up and bring out the different points of the places I visited. Each trip was a wholly unique experience.

All the signs today combined to suggest that it would be an especially good day. The day felt closer to the comfortably warm side of the spectrum as summer slowly yielded to the approaching autumn. I rowed my gondola out the back entrance to Orange Planet and into the canals which would lead to Neo Venezia. Ariel was seated in her usual place in the front of the boat as we left Adriana, April, and Ashley to their practice in the harbor. The morning sun was still rising.

"Take a left up here," Ariel ordered. I wasn't sure what the destination for the day was going to be. It could have been anywhere in the city. I still had never guessed right, but that was the fun of the game. That was part of the adventure.

"Hahii," I agreed. I hastened to follow her instructions. "Gondola passing through!"

Most of my concentration was focused on keeping the boat smooth and straight. The gondola had enough dents and bruises in it already, many from my past inattentions and losses of control. Much to my chagrin, most of those had occurred while Ariel had been with me. The unique pattern of accidental markings on this gondola made it stand out to me as distinct from each of the other black practice gondolas. They all had their own peculiarities, and that somehow made it feel even worse whenever I added yet another gash from an unfortunate collision. The scolding Ariel gave each time afterward was only a bit more salt in the wound as compared to that.

The path that Ariel led me through was relatively comfortable. The canals were wide and the traffic was light. I met only a few boats heading in the opposite direction. Each time I felt worried that I would crash into them as I maneuvered my gondola to the right. I couldn't move too far to the side lest I instead crash into a wall, or into one of the boats moored to a palina, or into one of the colorfully painted palinas directly. I would still automatically slow the boat to a crawl, just in case.

I felt encouraged by my progress over the months. I had improved to the point that I no longer felt compelled to lift my oar into the gondola to gain the extra bit of space. When the other boat would pass now I could feel the wide canal and the vast gulf of water between me and them. I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be as confident as Ariel. She never gave the oncoming traffic a second thought. Her gondola was a natural extension of their body as they swam through the canals of Neo Venezia. No matter what kinds of questions I asked, she would keep the boat straight and steady and never miss a stroke.

Unlike her, it took me all the concentration I could muster to keep on task and simultaneously talk to Ariel. She kept asking questions of the sites, of the city, of the company, and of me. It was quite the distraction as I rowed. It made me wobble the gondola more than I would have liked and more than I knew I was capable of when I could fully dedicate myself to rowing.

"You grew up on Manhome, right?"

"Hahii."

"What do you think of Aqua?"

The question gave me pause. It was a good question. I had had something in mind before I had moved to Neo Venezia. Everybody on Manhome had a mental image of Aqua, crafted from the collection of stories and imagination. Everything I had pictured was true. None of it was true. Everything was different, but not in the way I had expected. I couldn't exactly say I had been wrong, but I couldn't exactly say...

"Good morning, Undine-chan," a friendly voice called out to me.

"Good morning." I waived back. She was a kindly woman I saw every so often along the canal.

"Don't slow down," Ariel said.

"Hahii!"

I hadn't even noticed until Ariel had mentioned it. I had not only slowed down, I had outright stopped rowing. I immediately jumped to correct that, albeit only figuratively.

"Well?" Ariel asked.

Well? Well what?

"What do you think of Aqua?" Ariel further prompted me.

I had forgotten the question when I had restarted my rowing. I tried to maintain my rowing speed as I thought about it.

"It's inconvenient. It's really inconvenient. Things aren't all done by machine here," I said. I was getting progressive more excited as I said this. "Everything takes longer." I could take my time and just enjoy what was going on. The smell of the sun which suffused the towels after they had been hung out to dry. "Things are done by hand here." The fresh feeling of rowing on a idyllic warm day like this. My mouth watered a bit thinking of the baked potato I had the day before. "I really like it."

I found I was rowing slowly again. I sped up.

Ariel was looking at me with a really strange look on her face. It made me feel a bit self-conscious.

"You're a weird girl."

I gave a nervous laugh at that. I had been told that before. I still wasn't sure how I was supposed to react to that sentiment.

Something nagged at me as I rowed. I thought I was forgetting something. I naturally slowed down as I thought, but I was able to notice and check that impulse. So that was one thing I wasn't forgetting. What was the other?

It wasn't until I got close to an upcoming intersection that I remember what it was. I clearly shouted out, "Gondola passing through!"

This was mimicked a moment later by a different voice shouting. "Gondola passing through!"

I slowed again. This time it was a deliberate action. As I drew near to the intersection I carefully watched in all directions. The answering cry sounded like it had come from my right, but the echoes off the walls made it hard to be certain where the sound had truly come from. Ariel had yelled at me enough times that I remembered that.

The oncoming gondola had indeed been to my right. I was closer to the intersection, so the other Undine yielded to me and let me pass first. I nodded to her in both acknowledgement and thanks. She nodded back. I then continued onward.

"Good morning, Undine-san," a man greeted me. He was the painter I had seen occasionally, the one with the odd wooden square.

"Good morning, painter-san," I said. I waived back to him.

"It seems like the weather will be good day today, doesn't it?"

"It seems like it."

"Akari-chan," Ariel warned.

It was enough to bring me back into focus. I gave a quick waive to the painter in parting and then continued on my way.

After passing two more empty intersections, Ariel directed me to the left into a thoroughfare. It was larger than the previous one. It gave the area a feeling of open freedom. The waves were commensurately larger and I could feel the gondola bucking under my feet. I did my best to move my body back and forth to compensate like I did during my daily practice in the harbor.

"So is being an Undine what you expected?" Ariel asked, once again distracting me from the complicated juggling act of steadying the gondola, keeping straight, maintaining speed, avoiding others, and staying on path.

"Hahii." I nodded enthusiastically. It was what I had expected and more. Even as a Pair I enjoyed the genuineness of earnestly rowing in the practice area, with the ever changing water beneath me and the delight of setting my own pace. Looking to Ariel and the other Primas, I was sure that that feeling would grow even more once I was able to start taking customers along with me. Eventually. Once I felt confident I could. It was what I had come to associate with life on Neo Venezia. It was content to let things happen as they did. There was a rustic congeniality in the city.

"Looking forward to becoming a Single?" Ariel asked.

I continued rowing without missing a stroke as I answered. "Eventually."

"Only eventually? Adriana-chan and the others can't wait."

That was an understatement. A week wouldn't go by without Adriana worrying about when she would be promoted. By her own assertion she was long ready for it. She had said a few unflattering things about Ariel during her not infrequent remarks. As for me, I thought there was still so much to do as a Pair. My tour books were still largely unexplored, to say nothing of the secrets of the city not captured on paper and ink.

My eyes wandered up and saw the skyline to the side and the expansive blue sky above. It looked like it went on forever. A blue sky above a blue planet.

"I don't see what the big rush is," I said, verbalizing what I was thinking.

"You really do things your own pace, don't you, Akari-chan?"

Of course. What good did it do to rush things?

"You're not what I expected somebody from Manhome would be like," Ariel continued.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked. My face reflected the puzzlement I felt.

"I don't know," Ariel answered.

"Hahii?" What kind of answer was that?

"Take a right here," Ariel said, completely dodging the question.

The canal I was rowing through was large enough that I didn't need to call out. I could concentrate on turning the gondola at the intersection. It required forethought and deliberateness to float the boat into the correct position. Gondolas didn't start or stop at a whim. By the time I became a Prima I might be good enough to make it seem like they did.

Ariel hadn't told me where we were going this morning. Based on her directions, I was starting to narrow down the possibilities. St. Marco Square was always fun and there was always more to learn about it. With that last turn, that wasn't very likely.

"Left up here."

"Gondola passing through!"

"What do you know about the Murano islands?"

"Not very much," I admitted. I hadn't gone there before. It was harder to get to than places like the Rialto Bridge. There was a large body of water between it and the rest of Neo Venezia. Thus far I had limited myself to only visiting places I could walk to on foot, as I couldn't take a gondola into the city except when accompanied by a Prima. That limited the number of sites I could see, but it wasn't very limited. I hadn't yet come anywhere close to seeing all the foot-accessible places in Neo Venezia.

"Okay, pay attention. Not many people take tours to Murano, but it's one of the most famous places in Neo Venezia so you need to be ready if they do."

"For the Venezian glass, right?"

"That's right. All of the glass makers in Neo Venezia work at the Murano islands."

"Ehh? Why?"

"It goes back to the tradition on Manhome. In 1291, they made a law that forced all of the glass makers in Venice to move to Murano, and they weren't allowed to leave. The city was afraid of the fires glass makers used. Murano was the center of the industry at the time. At first they focused on making glass beads and mirrors. The concentration of expertise there eventually led to Murano becoming the premiere producer of glass for all of Europe, and being the center of development of the most advanced glass manufacturing techniques in the world. They invented all sorts of things, like Aventurine glass."

"What makes Aventurine glass different?" I asked. Whenever Ariel explained things I would always find myself wanting to know more.

"Aventurine glass is glass with threads of gold in it. Not only that. They use unleaded sulfuric ash to mix all sorts of colors in the glass. They make smalto, which is enameled glass, and lattemo, which is milk glass. They even make imitation gemstones," Ariel said.

I was in awe, both with what Ariel was describing as well as with the large breadth of knowledge Ariel knew. There was so much left for me to do to catch up to her and the other Primas. It might take me years, but I knew I would get there eventually.

"Wow. I want to see it! We're going there, right?" I asked. I knelt down from the back of the gondola to get closer to looking Ariel in the eye. I really wanted to go see Murano now. I got excited just thinking about what was there. If it wasn't our intended destination then I would need to find some other way to get to the island on my next day off.

"Not if you don't keep rowing," Ariel said. "Keep going straight here."

"Hahii. Gondola passing through!"

I emerged into the wide ocean. The previously confined walls of the canal drifted behind me. The open space left a bedazzling sight all around me. It was like I was rowing through a treasure trove filled with sapphires which sparkled and reflected the sunlight from high above. The waves increased again, making it look like the shoreline was rocking back and forth despite my best efforts to keep the gondola steady.

The wide expanse made me feel like I had the ocean all to myself. There was no longer any danger of turning and crashing into a wall. In the deep ocean, the only walls around were the bricolas used for navigation markers. They were large wooden pillars standing proudly in the ocean. Their size matched the large motorized boats which occasionally passed by. It was like being in a Neo Venezia canal scaled up to an enormous size.

Murano was just to the left of us. I made a minor course correction and headed straight towards it. Ariel kept up the dialogue as we went. She adopted that particular tone of voice which imitated that of a customer and asked, "What can you tell me about the Murano islands?"

I thought back to the summary Ariel had just said a minute earlier. I clutched at the straws I could remember.

"Murano island is the center of glass making in Neo Venezia. All of the glass makers work there. This goes back to the tradition on Manhome in... 1291? The people in Venice were afraid that the city would catch fire, so they passed a law making all of the glass makers move there. They are famous for making all types of Neo Venezian glass, like... the... ones that have gold threads in them..." I stalled out. There was something about glazing, and colors, and beads, and something, but I couldn't remember how it all fit together. And there were the names of the different glasses. Lots and lots of names.

"Okay, okay. Be sure to read up on Murano when we get back to Orange Planet."

"Hahii."

I continued to row forward. I wasn't rowing as quickly as Ariel would have, or even as quickly as Adriana would have. There was no rush. I would get there eventually, and the day was too lovely to care. This was my first time on the wide open water. It was an experience to savor. High above a spaceship was flying into Neo Venezia. Several birds followed in its wake, keeping pace with the ship and forming a large V shape in the air. It was like the spaceship was the leader of the flock and showing them the way into the city. That led me to picture an image of a spaceship hatching from a giant egg, or caring for some young seagulls in a nest. It made me laugh out loud.

"What're you laughing about?" Ariel asked.

I tried to explain, but Ariel just looked at me with a weirder and weirder look. I don't think she understood at all.

Docking at the Murano islands was just as easy as anywhere in Neo Venezia. There were several open piers and palinas. I docked the ship and helped Ariel off of the boat as if she were a customer. I only had a minor stumble when doing it. She then helped me tie the boat securely to the palina. I was getting better, but I still appreciated the assistance.

The first stop, at my insistence, was the gift store. The sight took my breath away. The descriptions Ariel had given did not do justice to the vases and plates and lamps and balls and beads and other knickknacks carefully arranged around the room. It was full of blues bluer than the sky, greens brighter than summer, and oranges which would make a painter envious. The glasses near the window caught the light and shined with the radiance of the sun behind them. I had to get a closer look at them.

Within each of the spheres on display was a reflection of a mini-Akari, each looking back at me with the same awe I felt looking at them. Each reflection was a different color. It was like having a window into a different world. There was a yellow one, which colored my entire uniform the same hue Orange Planet normally reserved only for my uniform's accents. There was a red one, which made it look like I was working for Himeya. There was a blue one, which colored me same aquamarine as the rich water which covered Aqua and gave the planet its name.

Beside the spheres were some lanterns. They hung from the ceiling and gave a satisfying chime whenever a wisp of air managed to knock them together. Not only did they look crystal clear, they sounded it as well. It was a delight for my ears as well as for my eyes. To add to the feast of sensations I reached up and felt one of the lamps through my fingerless gloves. It felt smooth and cool. Just like how I pictured it would feel. I almost smelled and tasted them, but that felt like that would be a bit too silly.

"Like them?" Ariel asked.

"Hahii," I answered.

"See this? This is millefiori," Ariel said. She was holding up one of the colorful glass lamps. It was a swirl of scarlet and citrine and amber. It was absolutely incredible.

"It looks like somebody bottled a sunset," I said. Even out of the direct sunlight it still sparkled with a light all of its own. The lamp would be perfect for lighting up a room. It would be like being able to enjoy a private sunset throughout the entire day.

"If you say so," Ariel said. She fell silent for a moment. "Want to get some lunch?"

"Hahii."

Ariel led me to a little restaurant attached to the glass factory and the gift store. It wasn't as large or as professional as the cafeteria in Orange Planet, nor did it have the cozy ambiance of one of the small restaurants which dotted the Neo Venezia landscape. It was a hybrid, with enough efficient scale to satisfy the factory workers and enough atmosphere to satisfy the numerous tourists. It was easy to tell the difference between the two categories of customers. There were numerous sweaty and rugged men enjoying a hearty meal, and there were numerous casually dressed and joyful families from Manhome. I wasn't sure which of the two categories better classified Ariel and me. In this place I would have placed us as being closer to the tourists than the workers.

The only interesting thing which occurred during the meal was a small boy approaching Ariel and me and asking if we also worked at the glass factory. We had a brief chat with him before his parents came by and apologized for the bother. Once the formerly lost boy was reunited with his family he bid us goodbye. I watched them go off to whatever next adventure Aqua had in store for them.

Ariel showed me a bit more around the factory, talking about this and that about as we looked around. She primarily discussed Venezian glass, its history, and the people who lived on Murano. We took a small foray deeper into the island as well. We didn't spend too much time on the island. We would need to head back to Orange Planet before it got too late. The morning had long passed. We never had enough time for these training sessions. It was the only time I could row around Neo Venezia, and I always learned so much on each trip.

On the way off the island we stopped by the gift store one last time. Ariel bought something while I examined some more of the display items. With the extra background Ariel had just shared, the field of flowers captured in the millefiori looked even more spectacular to me.

We returned back to the gondola. I practiced helping Ariel back into the gondola and casting off while she placed her purchase in the larger bag she had brought along with her on the trip. And then we were off again on the return trip to Orange Planet.

I left Murano feeling like I did whenever I left somewhere with Ariel. The Prima had shown me so much in that short time, but there was so much more to see. There was the warmth of accomplishment, the hollowness of regret, and the glow of promise that I not only could but would return again at some point. I would need to. There was just too much going on to let it be.

A light wind blew across the open ocean. It whipped my uniform around me and ensured I remained cool despite my constant rowing through the heat all around us. The sun was bright against the water and sparkled all around me as the waves rolled under the boat. I felt a sense of accomplishment at how stable I kept the gondola. My forward rowing had improved dramatically since the time I had first arrived on Aqua.

That was when Ariel broke script.

"See those windmills over there?" Ariel asked. She pointed a distance away.

"Hahii."

"Row over there."

"Hahii? Don't you need to go back to Orange Planet?" I had thought that Ariel had afternoon reservations, like she always had in the afternoon.

"I got the rest of the afternoon off today."

The prospect of being able to spend more time rowing around Neo Venezia thrilled me, but that didn't explain this change of process. Primas were all busy people. I would see a couple in the morning, and a couple in the late evening. The only other time I would consistently see Primas in Orange Planet was when I had a shift escorting visitors to their tours. In contrast whenever I walked around Neo Venezia I would see countless Primas out there as they showed the numerous passengers the many faces of the city. I didn't know how many days off Ariel got, but there couldn't have been that many. And to spend it taking me around Neo Venezia? I didn't understand it, but I appreciated it.

"Thank you," I said. I started rowing again with renewed vigor.

"For what?"

"For sharing your off day with me," I answered. I was still smiling in appreciation.

"You're welcome?" Ariel asked more than said. Her confusion didn't put the smallest dent into my mood. I got to spend more time rowing around the city. That couldn't be anything but a good thing. The Pair practice area was great, but this exploration of the unknown mysteries of Neo Venezia was as much better than the practice harbor as the practice harbor was better than the simulators I had spent so much time with on Manhome.

The windmills Ariel had directed me towards stood far in the distance. They looked like they had been planted deep into the water. As I got closer it became clear that that was not the case. As if by magic, dry land appeared on the horizon beneath the windmills as we got closer. I had heard of plants growing out of the ground, but this was the first time I had seen ground growing underneath windmills.

Ariel directed me to a canal between the windmills. This canal looked different than normal ones. First, it was huge. It was nowhere as big as the Canal Grande, but it was big enough that that comparison was the first one which came to mind. Second, there were no buildings along side of it as was common in Neo Venezia. It was instead lined on both sides with numerous stones. Third, it was enormous in length. It went on as far as I could see, up the rolling hills and off into the distance.

"Up there?" I asked.

"Yes."

This was definitely something different.

The canal was wide enough that there was plenty of room. There was no chance of me accidentally veering to the side and getting stuck like I had done earlier in the day. There was a fair bit of traffic as well. It made the canal feel crowded despite its large size. There were some flower sellers. There were some Primas with their sparkling white gondolas. There were some less conventional gondolas which looked more like buses. I'm not sure how that Undine managed to steer those dozen people all by herself. It was amazing. I was having enough of a challenge rowing upstream with just Ariel as a passenger. Pushing against the current was no harder than in the static water of Neo Venezia, but it slowed my already lethargic progress even further.

"Where are we going to?" I asked. We had just been passed by a large motor boat going upstream as well. The loud motor was certainly more convenient than how I was traveling with Ariel. It must have been much easier than rowing by hand. I could hear the guide chatting with a large group within the boat with a megaphone. It somehow lost the personal touch.

"It's a popular tourist destination. If you ever become a Prima, I'm sure you'll be asked to come up here often," Ariel said. That would certainly explain the large number of people I passed along this wide canal. It didn't explain the...

"Good luck," another person going downstream said as I passed by. The fifth? The sixth? I had lost count by this point. It was somewhere around there.

"Thank you." I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't even sure what they were wishing me luck for. It was a confused response, but I felt compelled to respond in some fashion and it was the only thing I could think to say.

The trip was all well and good until we hit a brick wall, only it was not so much brick as metal, and I hadn't hit it so much as was forced to a stop by it.

"Ariel-san. We have a problem. It's a dead end. Should I turn around?" I wasn't sure how I had gotten lost in a non-branching waterway, but I must have. I had never realized my sense of direction was that bad.

"It's a lock. What's the problem?" Ariel asked.

"A lock?"

"Yes. A water lock. Is this your first time seeing one, Undine-chan?" asked an old man from the side of the canal. He put his newspaper down to address me.

"Eh? Hahii."

"Just wait a moment, it'll be down in a second."

"What'll be down?"

Neither the man nor Ariel answered. They only gave knowing looks back at me. I felt left out and waited for the enlightenment the man had promised.

A minute later there was a large grinding sound, and what I had taken for a metal wall slid open. Inside was a large room with a Prima and her customers. I wondered what they had been doing in there. She started moving downstream, and I had to maneuver my gondola to the side to make room for her to pass. As she did so, she wished me another one of those mysterious good lucks.

"Thank you," I automatically answered back.

"You can go in now," the man said. I looked to Ariel. She nodded in agreement.

I nudged my gondola forward into the room. It was huge, with plenty of space for boats much larger than my gondola. The tall walls made the room seem smaller than it was. I made extra sure that I didn't collide with the back wall.

"I'm closing it now," the man called out.

"Okay."

The huge door shut behind me with a large clatter. That's when everything went wrong.

A waterfall appeared along the back side of the room. Water came flooding in. It wasn't hard to figure out what would happen next. I could already see the water filling up.

"Ariel-san! Ariel-san! Somebody's trying to drown us!" I looked around, trying to see if there were a door, or ladder, or any other way to escape.

"We're not going to drown," Ariel said with a roll of her eyes.

"But... but... but..."

"We're in a boat," Ariel said. "This is how we go up and down. It's like an elevator."

Now that Ariel had mentioned it I noticed that we weren't sinking. I could see the ground below through the rippling surface of the water, and it was slowly getting further away.

I wouldn't be able to do anything for the next several minutes as the boat crept ever so slowly upward. I stood poised on the back of the gondola with a firm grip on the oar, ready to balance it in case it ever started tipping. It was a welcome break from all of the rowing I had had to do throughout the morning and afternoon.

"You've been here a few months now, Akari-chan. What's your favorite place in Neo Venezia?"

That was an interesting question. I said the first thing which came to mind. "I love St. Marco Square. There's always something new and exciting happening there. It's right by the Bridge of Sighs, which is so beautiful it makes me sigh. That reminds me of the Rialto Bridge, too. The view from the center watching all the boats pass underneath. I could spend all day there watching how people cross the Canal Grande. It's really fun to see how people go about their lives. It's like the heart of Neo Venezia. But Murano was really fun today, too. I want to go back there some... time..." Ariel was looking at me funny again. "What was the question again?"

"I asked what your favorite place in Neo Venezia was."

"It's hard to say. I love them all," I enthusiastically answered back.

Ariel paused more. She then said, "You really do, don't you?"

"Of course," I answered back. I was more than a bit confused at the question. How could somebody not love everything in the city? I even loved this water lock I had just met. There were elevators for people. It made sense that there would be elevators for boats too.

There was some banging, and then the wall I was facing started to open. It revealed the open sky in the distance and the path forward. More wide open canal spread in front as far as the eye could see. A large motor boat stood waiting there, too, much like I had waited for the lock at the bottom entrance.

"You go out first," Ariel prompted. It nudged me out of my indecision and I started rowing forward again.

"Good luck," some woman announced to me over the speakers attached to the motorboat.

"Thank you," I said back automatically. I waived too. I'm not sure she saw or heard me, but that didn't matter. It was the thought that counted.

"Hey there, Undine-chan," an old man said from the side of the canal. He wasn't just any old man. He was same man I had met at the bottom of the lock. He was still reading that newspaper.

"Weren't I just see you down below?" I asked.

"That's right. There are some stairs back there," he said. He was pointing behind him. I looked over and could barely see the edge of one of the steps leading downward.

"Do you work here all day?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you can call this work. It's more like my secret hideout."

"That sounds nice," I said. He was doing what he loved and it showed. "Have a nice day."

The break in that grand elevator had been refreshing, and I was now ready for more. I pushed forward against the slowly drifting current.

"Good luck," he said.

"Thank you," I answered back, like I had said to everybody else who had the same thing.

Traffic was just as busy after the lock as it had been before it. There was always another boat in sight. The clear sky and wide open space made it seem like I could see forever. There were enough other boats to make the canal feel deceptively narrow, especially when a larger boat passed by me going downstream.

The next person I passed wishing me good luck was the trigger point. I looked down at Ariel and asked her, "Why do people keep saying 'good luck?'"

"Don't worry about it. They're just being nice," Ariel said. My brow furled a bit in confusion. She had answered my question, but not really. Before I could ask more, Ariel asked me. "Is being an Undine what you expected?"

It was everything I had dreamed of while playing in those synthetic simulation on Manhome, back when I had spent all that time rowing the wrong way. I was still chagrined at that memory. There was the feeling of accomplishment after a day of practice. The rustic, leisurely nature of life on Aqua. The open air and the soothing waves suffusing the whole city. They were always so unpredictable yet always the same. There was the comfort of the familiar along with the excitement of the new. It was the best of both worlds. All of that was in my mind as I answered with an enthusiastic nod. "Hahii."

"How much time do you spend rowing a day?"

I stopped rowing for a second and put my hand up to my mouth as I considered the question. I wasn't sure. There was the morning practice with Adriana, April, and Ashley and the other groups of Pairs. Then lunch. Then on most days whenever I didn't have another assignment I would go back. Whenever I did so there would always be an entirely different set of Pairs practicing in the harbor. Adriana and the others never wanted to go with me in the afternoon, so I would always do that practice on my own. It wasn't as productive as when I could get feedback from a passenger, but I got to spend the whole time rowing so that made up for it a bit. I wasn't sure how long it was overall. The sun would be up before I started, and it would still be up when I ended before dinner. The sun was always up this time of the year. Everything around me was bathed in a warm glow which made it impossible to want to stay indoors.

"When I don't have afternoon duty I usually get about nine hours? Otherwise about five? I think?" I took a guess. That sounded about right. A few hours in the morning, and a few hours in the afternoon. I would have wanted to do more, but the practice area was closed in the evening. I wondered what that would be like, being on the water as the sun set. Would it be like a sunrise? Would it be different? Would it be like a twin, which looked so similar but was so different than its sibling? I was sure I would be able to find out in just a few more months as the days slowly became shorter and shorter.

"So you're used to this rowing all day?"

What an odd question. Wasn't that the point of being an Undine? What would an Undine do if not row? It was a bit tiring, but nothing I couldn't handle. The excitement of Ariel showing me something new more than distracted from the insistent aching of my hands and arms. "Hahii."

In the distance, I could see another lock coming up. If it was like the previous one, it would be a welcome break from the rhythmic stroke after stroke after stroke as I pushed the gondola against the water a bit at a time.

This lock wasn't populated by an old man reading a newspaper. There was instead a little portable food stand here. They were selling lunch boxes. I wasn't at all hungry. We had just had lunch. Nevertheless Ariel bought a lunch and munched on it while the locks filled up. I supposed being a Prima took a lot of energy.

We continued on. Ariel barely giving me any direction as we went. There was only one way to go. Ariel only occasionally prompted me to continue on or pointed out an attraction off in the distance. It felt like the path had been made especially for me and that there was a miraculous goal waiting at the end.

I passed by another person. I recognized her. She was a flower seller I had met from time to time around Neo Venezia. It was a bit unusual to see her so far from the city. She probably thought the same of me. I had never gotten her name, but that didn't stop us from exchanging friendly hellos whenever we saw each other. We did it again this time. She also joined in with the others in wishing me good luck.

The waterway went across numerous ups and downs. The ground beneath would plunge into a valley or soar into a mountain. Throughout it all, the lovingly created water path kept a steady flow. The various bridges eased the path over the dips and valleys in the groundwork. I looked over the side once and saw a river passing underneath me. It made me laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ariel asked.

"It's just we're on the water, which is on a bridge. It needs help to cross the water below us." I could picture similar things, like putting a river into a gondola to cross through Neo Venezia. It made me laugh more.

I'm not sure Ariel understood. She didn't say anything back.

We crossed a particularly large bridge which was so high up that I couldn't even see the bottom of the valley. It made me feel like I was floating in the air. It was amazing. It made me wonder about the people who had come before me who had created this path. It was tiring enough just to row through it. To lay block by block to form this flying passageway must have been so much harder. I wondered if they had also paused here, looking through the clear day and seeing eternity.

I paused briefly and admired the view. In the distance I could see Neo Venezia slowly shrinking away. I said, "Neo Venezia has become so tiny."

All of those people. All of that wonder. All of that magic. All of that mystery. It was all in that tiny town in the distance. I wonder if the people laying this bridge had done the same thing, stopping to see the incredible world as they built this path. I added, "I really love the leisurely life here."

"That's nice." Ariel said. She didn't say anything more. The path continued forward. I did as well.

I continue onward. Ever onward. There was another lock in front of me which promised another break from the rowing. I didn't need it. With the ever rolling hills in front and the majesty of Aqua all around me I felt like I could go on forever.

After the hours of rowing, the pause in the lock plus the white noise of rushing water pouring in had a hypnotic effect on me. I felt my eyes trying to close. I refused to let them. Ariel was sitting there watching me and I refused to let myself drift to sleep. There was no telling what she would do.

We crept upwards, ever upwards, at a nice leisurely pace fitting of Aqua and of Neo Venezia. When we reached the top the door opened. I didn't need Ariel's prompting. I continued forward. I couldn't wait to see what was next on this path that Ariel was showing me.

We were almost at the top of the hill now. There were no taller mountains in front. Was this finally the goal? Was this the present that awaited me?

A large windmill farm stood proudly at the summit. Each windmill looked enormous. They were much larger than the toothpicks they had appeared to be from Neo Venezia. What had appeared to be adorable little children's toys were massive when seen from this angle, just like how the splendor of Neo Venezia now appeared to be more like a painting in the distance.

The gondola rocked under my feet and drew my attention to Ariel. She was now on her feet. The boat shook only slightly as she walked towards me. I don't know how she kept so balanced on the floating gondola. It was a testament to the power of a Prima.

She reached out and took my left hand. As confused as I was I didn't offer any resistance. She pulled my hand close, took the edge of my glove with her right hand and slowly removed it.

"Congratulations, Akari-chan."

"Hahii?"

"You've proven that you can row all day on your own, and you've navigated this busy waterway to come up here." She reached behind her and pulled out a sheet of paper. She presented it to me. "As of this moment, you are now a Single. You've been promoted."

"Hahii?!" I was overwhelmed. My heart pounded in my chest. I could only barely see the certificate with its ornately printed border and fancy script declaring that Akari Mizunashi was a Single.

"'Hahii.' 'Hahii.' Is that all you can say?"

"Hahii..." Oops. Again. "Sorry. Ahh... Thank you." I started to put the pieces together bit by bit. "So all of those people saying 'good luck?'"

"That's right. This is a very popular tourist attraction because it's the traditional path Pairs take to be promoted. Everybody knows this, except for the Pairs. We keep it a secret from them. The Undines call it the 'Land of Hope.'"

The Land of Hope. It was such a beautiful name. And it was such an appropriate one too. I could feel the hope for my future, and the hope of becoming a Prima. There was the hope for Orange Planet and the Gondola Association, and their belief in me and the other Pairs for the future. There was the sight of Neo Venezia in the distance, and all of the joys of the city and its people. There was Aqua, spread all around me, farther than I had ever seen before. This was truly the Land of Hope.

I was still admiring the world all around me when Ariel said, "It's time to head back. Want me to row?"

She interrupted my gaze into the distance. The cerulean sky looked like it went on forever. It made me feel like I could go forever. I wasn't ready for it to end yet. I answered, "I can row back."

Ariel nodded and maneuvered herself back to her chair. I likewise maneuvered the gondola around such that it now faced downstream rather than upstream.

I could clearly feel the absence of my now missing glove. Everything felt different now. In a strange way, it was both happy and sad. It was like a fuzzy layer of protection was missing. An ambiguous fluffiness of safety was gone. At the same time, the confusing indirection was stripped away as well. I could feel each grain of wood on the oar underneath the palm of my left hand now. It made the whole experience feel more real, like a veil had been removed. If it was like this now, I could only wonder what it would be like once both gloves were removed.

* * *

Last Updated: November 12, 2015


	7. 7: That Ability…

Chapter 7: That Ability...

It was a new day, full of opportunities and changes. It began in a way similar to so many others. After I had dressed in my uniform I had panicked a moment while I searched for my lost left glove. Then I remembered that I wouldn't need it anymore. It felt as strange to feel the breeze against the palm of my hand as it had felt when I had first started feeling the glove's warm embrace all the time. The difference would definitely take some time to get used to.

I invited Adriana to come with me as I was leaving the room. That had an unexpected result. She didn't say anything to me. I could tell she was awake, but she kept her back turned and didn't respond. I thought she must have not heard me so I asked again, but I received a similar lack of response as a result. She still ignored me.

Adriana's lack of reaction was very different than the reaction I had received the night before. Back then she had definitely noticed me when I had walked into the room. And she had stared at me. And stared. And stared. I had only just laid my certificate of promotion down when Adriana pounced on me and demanded to know what I had done to get promoted.

Naturally my thoughts had turned to the Land of Hope. My muscles still felt that tired feeling of accomplishment and my head still swam with visions of Aqua as far as the eye could see. Neo Venezia had appeared smaller than a child's toy while I had been surrounded by the gentle whirl of wind and windmills. However, as Ariel had said was tradition, I had not told Adriana anything of my experiences. Adriana hadn't appreciated that.

I'm not sure what I would have done in her place if our roles had been reversed. Maybe I would have done the same thing Adriana had and asked question after question. Maybe in my place Adriana would have answered. Maybe not. Maybe I would have continued to persist in asking. Probably not. The prospect of becoming a Prima made my heart race with excitement whenever I thought about it, but I was in no hurry. I was sure it would come when it came.

Regardless, I was sure that I wouldn't just outright ignore Adriana. Her coldness hurt a lot, but there was nothing I could do. Hopefully Adriana would forgive me soon. When she got promoted herself she would understand why I had not explained the process. And she was bound to be promoted soon. Adriana had been a Pair since before I had joined Orange Planet. I was sure that she too must have been strong enough to row all the way up to the Land of Hope on her own.

I left the room. I was careful to close the door quietly as I did so. There was no reason to make the situation any worse if I could help it.

The same walk down the same hall to the same cafeteria. It felt so different as a Single. People looked at me differently. Or maybe it was just that I saw people seeing me differently. Regardless of if it was them or if it was me it still felt different, so to me it was different.

The cafeteria continued the trend of being different despite being the same. The surrounding warm walls, the glass windows high in the air, and the Undines slowly sauntering as they prepared themselves for the start of the new day were all long familiar, but they were different too. I could imagine just that little bit of additional deference to me. That idea was shattered when another Single walked past me without giving me a second look. It was just like before. All of the changes could have just been my imagination.

It wasn't completely my imagination, though. As I was getting my breakfast, the chef behind the omelet station said to me, "'Morning, Undine... Is that new?" He was pointing at my open hand with a ladle. Droplets of egg dripped from the end of it and plopped onto the table.

So somebody had noticed. A grin came to my face despite myself. I held out both of my hands to him to give him a better look. "Hahii. I was promoted yesterday."

"Congratulations," he said. He always had a kind word for me in the morning. "I heard the test is really hard."

"A bit," I answered. I was sensitive to the Pairs all around me. The chef continued to look at me while he casually wiped up the droplets of egg off the table with a towel.

"This calls for a celebration. What kind of omelet do you want?"

"Ehh..." I hesitated. I didn't really feel like anything in particular. "Whatever you recommend."

"One promotion special it is," he said. His hands started flying here and there as he threw things into the pan with as much speed and precision as a Prima handled her oar. And, with just as much skill as a Prima cutting through the waves of Neo Venezia, the confection of an omelet appeared in front of me. I took it on my plate, ready to savor it.

"Thank you very much," I enthused.

"I hope you enjoy it, Single-chan."

I took the dish to one of the tables and started to eat. If anything, the omelet tasted even better than it had looked. There was definitely a different mood in the cafeteria. There was some additional deference, or respect, or something. Nobody came and sat next to me like before when I had been a Pair. Two times a Pair who looked to be searching for a seat would approach, but then she would turn away as she drew near. No random Singles joined me either. All of them who entered would find a seat next to somebody else. From how they interacted it was obvious they were long friends. It was a bit sad to be alone.

Once breakfast was over I went to the practice area like always. I had an extra skip in my step from the promotion I had just received.

When I walked into the training area, nothing was different except everything. Everything somehow looked a bit brighter. And refreshing. And new.

I still had a few minutes, so I walked over to the training room attendant and chirped out a bright, "Good morning."

"Good morning. Ah... you've been promoted."

"I did," I happily confirmed. I again held out both of my hands as a badge of honor. I was already halfway to becoming a Prima.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. How has your son been?"

"Good. Good. It turns out he was waiting for me, just like I was."

"What a funny coincidence." Sometimes it did seem like things just happened like that, where both sides would be waiting for the other to make the first move and get stuck as a result. It felt good to help him reconcile with his son.

"Mail's so convenient. It feels like my son is in the next city, not the next planet."

"It is. But getting old fashioned letters are good too," I said. It somehow felt more personal to receive the letter itself, to feel the texture of the paper and ink between my fingertips. I would never forget the feeling of opening my mailbox and seeing a letter sitting there. And then my carefully sliding it open to see the gem the envelope had hid inside like an oyster carefully sheltering a pearl.

The old man nodded in agreement as Ariel entered the room. That was my prompt to bid him farewell and walk over to join Adriana, April, and Ashley. It was the same yet different, much like everything since becoming a Single.

"What are you doing here?" was Ariel's immediate response. That was less usual. In fact, it was completely different than anything she had said to me back when I had been a Pair.

"I'm here for practice?" I answered. It was obvious. It was what I did practically every day. It made me wonder why Ariel was asking.

"What about the traghetto?" Ariel asked.

"Traghetto?"

Ariel sighed. Adriana shook her head. April and Ashley's heads snapped to my left hand, and not in a good way this time. I hid the exposed evidence of my becoming a Single behind my still-gloved right hand. The asymmetry of feeling bulky cloth on my left hand and muted touch in my right hand felt weird.

"You're a Single now?" April and Ashley both asked.

"Quiet," Ariel said before they could start interrogating me like Adriana had done before. I expected it was a common reaction from the numerous Pairs around the company upon meeting somebody who had newly been promoted. "Akari-chan, you're supposed to be at the traghetto. What're you doing here?"

"Traghetto? What's that?" I asked. It was the first I had heard of it.

"Traghetto," Adriana repeated the word. It was the first thing she had said to me all day. "All the Singles are expected to take shifts on it. Don't you know anything?"

Ariel was more measured in what she said, although I could tell she was a bit annoyed as well. "It's a shuttle service. Two Singles operate it and ferry people around the city. It's a good way to practice your rowing and start earning some money for Orange Planet. It also helps spread the word about Orange Planet to generate new business. You're supposed be there today."

"Nobody ever told me."

"I told you yesterday," Ariel said.

"No you didn't." I was sure she hadn't.

"Whatever," Ariel said, shaking her head. "Here, just... I don't know... go practice today. I need to go sort this out. Be sure to be there tomorrow."

"Hahii..."

No sooner had Ariel left then April and Ashley both turned to me and started asking how I had been promoted. I told them no more than I had told Adriana earlier when she had asked the exact same questions. In the end nobody was left satisfied with the results of the short question and answer session.

I looked forward to training more than usual today. It might be a way to make up with Adriana. I would be in a gondola with her for a couple of hours, and it wasn't like she could ignore me the whole time. Maybe she could, but I hoped she wouldn't.

April and Ashley came back in a gondola. Adriana came back as well in a separate gondola. Unexpectedly she had brought with her another Undine.

"Hahii?"

Adriana didn't even say anything. She simply continued to row to the first training buoy. The other girl sat attentively and listened as Adriana was saying something. I could tell from how Adriana's mouth was moving and her head was bobbing. I couldn't hear what she was saying at this distance.

I felt devastated. This most certainly wasn't how I had expected the day to go when it had started. I had hoped to make up with Adriana, either after a good night's sleep or during the time we would invariably spend together in practice. Instead Adriana had found another practice partner, and I had been scolded for not doing something which nobody had told me about. I wasn't even sure what to do anymore.

Ariel had said I should practice, and bereft of anything else I usually spent most of my time doing that anyway. It was as good a way as any to spend the day.

A quick search of the training room showed it was just like in the afternoons when I came to the harbor on my own. I didn't see a single other lone person. I wasn't sure what I would have done if I had seen a free Pair either. Approaching a Pair as a Single might be intimidating. I certainly would have been intimidated if a Single had come up to me before and asked to practice together. It was the same as before, but everything else was different. I would probably need to find a Single to match up with. Later. There weren't any Singles in the area that I saw, nor had I ever seen a Single rowing in the practice harbor. I wondered why that was. I could believe there was another area reserved for Singles, but from what I had seen on the map the harbor was the only practice area in the building.

It was a mystery I consoled myself to revisiting another time. I would practice first. I longed to feel the wind in my hair and the grainy oar in my exposed left hand again.

I went to the pier and retrieved my black gondola. It looked like I would be practicing on my own this session. I had done it enough times back on Manhome to know how that would work, albeit back on Manhome I had done it backwards in a simulator. I had done it enough times in Orange Planet in the afternoon when Adriana and the others were instead lounging around inside. Solo practice was still useful, even if having somebody else riding in the gondola made it that much more entertaining and that much more productive. On the other hand it also meant I could row the whole time instead of needing to share with Adriana.

"Here I go," I announced to nobody in particular. I then pushed off.

The balance of the gondola felt different without a passenger. It felt lighter and more responsive, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was easier to push forward, but likewise it was easier for the boat to rock back and forth and back and forth. I was pushed around by the waves in a way that didn't happen with a passenger weighing down the middle. The empty gondola made the boat that much easier to control, but it made it so I needed every bit of that extra control.

"Hey, Single-chan!" the attendant called out near the end of my first practice circuit.

"Hahii?"

"Yeah, you," the old man at the gate addressed me. I feathered over to get closer to him. "You don't have to stay here, you know?"

"But I need to practice."

"Yeah, but you don't need to do that here. Most Singles usually prefer to go around town. It's more interesting than going in circles all morning."

I had completely overlooked that change. I was a Single now. That meant I could go into Neo Venezia on my own. I couldn't take any passengers, but I could still go into town. I didn't need to wait for the weekly practice with Ariel.

It was so exciting. I had stared at the web of canals and waterways on the map for hours before, but I had never had a chance to really explore them except under Ariel's watchful eye or from the pedestrian walkways which crossed over and around them.

"Which way do I go?" I asked. I could hardly contain my sudden excitement.

"Down that way," he said, pointing to the path beside him. It was the path I had wanted to explore ever since I had started but had never before been able too.

"Thank you, mister!"

I pushed forward as fast as I could, making my way more slowly than I would have preferred towards the freedom in front of me. In my excitement I was tempted to turn around and get more speed by rowing backwards. I took a glance behind me as I left and saw a scattering of Pairs staring at my back. Adriana was not among them.

In short distance the channel led to a stonework arch which connected to a long tunnel which I paddled through. It was well lit by the sunlight streaming from both ends. The exit and the entrance. They were really the same thing. It was all a question of which way you were going. In this case I was leaving through an exit.

I escaped the direct sunlight and into the momentary darkness of the passage. It only lasted just long enough for my eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Then the process reversed itself with a beam of sunlight light touching the tip of my gondola. It crept its way back towards me as I neared the end of the tunnel. It was a sharp line of brightness which crossed the seats. And then it crossed me. The abrupt re-immersion into sunlight was dazzling. It made me squint my eyes and look up to see the perfect blue sky. It was as perfect as the day before, and it was as perfect as tomorrow would hopefully be.

The practice harbor exited into an entirely different place than the area which received the tourists, but that didn't matter. It still led into Neo Venezia. It was then that the momentous decision was upon me. Which way should I go? Left? Right? Straight? There was no Ariel to tell me where to go this time. It was all up to me.

Each path looked the same here at the start, but each would lead to a different location in the end. The map of Neo Venezia was in my head, but I didn't think about it at all. I plowed forward, aimless in direction.

I paid only the barest attention as I floated through the canals and corridors and waterways of Neo Venezia. I was like a leaf drifting along the water, chance taking me where it would. I was swept away by the fresh feeling of newness which surrounded me. Flavoring this feeling was the occasional accent of somebody shouting, "Gondola passing through!" Sometimes that person was me.

The common buildings of Neo Venezia where residents lived their daily lives which tourists never knew or cared about went by one after the other. I didn't know the name of any of them. I didn't even know if they had a name. They all blended together into the experience of the city, each so alike but each with a unique character all its own. This house had a worn chrysanthemum on its door frame. That palina had a sculpture of a seagull on top of it. Somebody had hung out their laundry to dry and soak up the taste of sunlight. Somebody else was watering her garden.

"Good morning!"

She looked up. "Good morning, Undine-san!"

And I was past. It was another exchange with another person on another day in the ebb and flow of life in Neo Venezia. Would I ever see her again? Maybe. Maybe not.

"Good morning, Punya-san."

"Punya-nya," the cat I addressed said back. He was that same pudgy cat I had met when I had first entered Neo Venezia and had since seen from time to time when I walked around Neo Venezia. He was hard to miss. He had a bright white and blue hat on his head. He also wore an equally blue ribbon with yellow trim around his neck. The ribbon was huge, being almost as large as he stomach. He was waiving a paw to me.

"How are you today?"

"Nya, nya-nya punya nya nya."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." There were a few troubles and worries, like what was going to happen to me since I had missed the traghetto today, but those were worries for another time. This was a time to enjoy my newfound freedom in the beauty of Neo Venezia.

Punya was still following me, walking beside me at the same pace that I was pushing my empty gondola forward.

"Do you want to go for a tour?" I asked. There was a strict rule that Singles weren't supposed to give tours without a Prima, but I was sure that that only applied to humans. I couldn't imagine anybody having any problems with me showing a cat around. I was supposed to be practicing, too, and it was easier to get in the mood if I had somebody to practice with.

"Punya."

I pushed the gondola over to a nearby palina. It was easy to do in this city where the anchoring structures dotted the landscape like pollen after a light rain. Just like in training, I held the palina and kept the boat steady. I couldn't exactly hold Punya's hand to help him in, but he hopped in the gondola without a care. He walked deliberately to the chair in front of me and hopped up before planting himself firmly in place like a tubby child, his lower legs dangling below the seat.

In my eyes I could see him as a real customer.

"Here I go."

I pushed off against the palina and was back on the open water. That was when I realized I had made my first mistake. On my own I had been content to just float here and there wherever chance and my oar decided to take me. However with a "customer" now in place and me giving a "tour" that wouldn't do at all. I should have had a route planned out in advance or something, but I didn't. It was the first lesson I learned from this practice session in the city, and one I would never have learned in the sheltered harbor of Orange Planet.

"Umm..." I said out loud as I thought about it. I held my chin contemplatively while I tried to string together a smattering of nearby locations into what could possibly pass for a tour. "Sorry, I'm just thinking where I want to go."

"Punya nya."

Assuming I hadn't gotten too disoriented in my first solo foray into Neo Venizia, the Canal Grande wasn't too far away. That would lead to the Ca' d'Oro and the Ca' Foscari. There was the Grand Bridge too, plus numerous interesting sites. The exact path I wasn't sure about, but there would be enough to talk about. That could work.

"Sorry for the wait. Let's go!" I returned the oar to the water and began anew.

"Punya!" The cat pointed a paw forward as I re-embarked.

The addition of a passenger, a semi-imaginary passenger but a passenger nonetheless, changed my experience dramatically. I suddenly noticed every wobble of my gondola as I made my way forward. I tried rowing more carefully as a result, but I couldn't mimic the smooth strokes of Ariel that let the gondola glide over the water so deftly and quickly.

I tried to make some small talk with Punya. It was something which was expected for Undines with real customers, and it was something I was rather good at. I imagined Punya as an elderly gentleman from Manhome and asked him, "What brought you to visit Neo Venezia?"

"Nya, nya nya nya, nya nya."

"I see. This is a good time of the year for it. Every day is a bit different, and there is a chance you can see both the last glimpse of summer and an early hint of winter."

"Punya, nya."

"I just moved here a few months ago. I grew up on Manhome too." Maybe I shouldn't have said that. It would be different if I had years of experience, but there was no reason to highlight my current inexperience and make the customers feel bad about it.

"Punya, punya nya nya, punya."

"I wanted to be an Undine. There isn't anything like that back on Manhome."

"Nya. Punya nya nya."

"Thank you," I said. "It's a good thing you aren't a real customer. I wouldn't be allowed to take you on this trip without Ariel-san around. I think I'd be too nervous too."

"Punya."

I fell quiet for a bit. The sounds of my oar dipping into and through the water punctuated the air as we slowly made our way forward. The murmur of Neo Venezia surrounded me and assured me that I was not alone. Even not including Punya I was not alone. The city veritably hummed with life as friends exchanged greetings along the waterfront.

It wasn't good form to stay too quiet. I looked around for something else to talk about, and then spotted it in the form of some wall decorations. I slowed down and edged towards the side of the canal. I didn't get too close. I didn't trust myself to not bang against the wall accidentally.

"Do you see all those chrysanthemums on the wall?"

"Punya?" I imagined the guest looking over, curious what I was talking about.

"See? Here, and there," I said. I held the oar in the crook of my right arm and pointed with my left hand at the moldings along the wall. "These little flowers."

"Nya."

"They're a tradition from Venice, from back on Manhome. They were the flower of the city. They were first brought there by... Marco Polo?" I said as I tried to remember what the tour book had said about them. "They were the flower most associated with Venice. When Neo Venezia was being built, they included the chrysanthemum decorations everywhere in homage to the lost city on Manhome. You can see them on the walls and doors around the city."

"Nya. Nya, ny-nya ya nya nya."

The gondola was approaching the Canal Grande now. I shouted out, "Gondola passing through!" We emerged from the small shadowed canal into the spacious pure sunlight.

"This is the Canal Grande. It divides Neo Venezia into an East and a West half. You can see from all of the boats here that it's the main thoroughfare of the city," I said. I floundered for anything else I could add. Talking about the various sites all around Neo Venezia was harder than I had expected. I would need more practice with it, which I expect was part of the reason why they allowed Singles into the city. I was confident enough in my rowing, sort of, for being a newly promoted Single. I wasn't at all confident of my tour guiding. It had all seemed so easy in my head.

"Punya, punya," Punya said. I could almost imagine he was encouraging me.

"And that's the Grand Bridge," I said, pointing at the arc above us. I thought that was what it was called. "It links the two halves of Neo Venezia together. It's the easiest way for people on foot to cross from one half of the city to the other. It's also a very popular tourist location. You can get a view all along the Canal Grande from up there."

There were several people with cameras out. Many of these faced both me and the length of the canal. I could picture myself being forever memorialized as being part of Neo Venezia for them. I would be one of the hundreds of faces along the canal. Each of these people would be distinct but indistinguishable from the others who combined together formed the entire experience of the Canal Grande and all of Neo Venezia

A honk from a horn behind me caused me to look around, and then make my way a bit to the side to allow a motorboat to more easily pass. I fought with my gondola for a severe second before I was sure that I wouldn't be swamped. It wasn't very close or dangerous, but it did make me briefly worry before the waves and the gondola settled down again.

"And that is the Ca' Foscari. It was originally the palace of... somebody back in Venice," I said. I would definitely need more practice before I gave a tour for real. I was amazed how Ariel kept all of this in her head as she guided people through the city. "It was rebuilt using the same construction techniques used to build the original palace on Manhome. We don't have any royalty here in Neo Venezia, and this palace is instead used as a school for children."

We lazily drifted past the building and continued along the Canal Grande. All around me people went about their business, doing this or that or the other thing. There were the Undines, of course, but there were also locals doing the transportation, shopping, socializing, and everything else of everyday life. It was enough to let me lose myself in the heartbeat of the city.

When I approached the end of the Canal Grande I paused the gondola along the side of the waterway. I made sure I was far enough to the side such that others could pass by without me getting in the way. I took the opportunity to pull out my well-used tour book and flip through it. There were numerous sites which I had tried to describe as I had rowed but had instead gotten mixed up in my head. After a short refresher I turned the gondola around and started going back through the Canal Grande once more. I still got confused and accidentally mixed up several sites, not to mention I outright forgot important segments of some other places, but I did a bit better than on the first trip through the canal. I was sure I would do it better the next time, and even better the time after that.

Punya was patient as I fumbled my way through it. I was careful to watch him throughout. An Undine must be attentive to the needs of her customer, and I was acutely aware that the cat would be even more limited in how he could express himself. He never tried to scramble out of the boat or gave any indication of wanting to leave. In fact, much to my surprise, he seem to get more enthusiastic as time went on.

I took several more trips up and down the Canal Grande before I felt it was time to move on. I didn't have it perfected. I was far from that. However there were many other parts to the city and I wanted to see them too. I turned at one of the side-canals. It was one of the ones that I had taken with Ariel a few weeks ago when she had quizzed me about how Aqua managed to stay so warm despite being so far away from the sun. I slowly paddled my way through the much quieter waterway and let the hubbub of the Canal Grande disappear in the distance behind me.

There was less traffic in this canal, but it was smaller as well. It made for an entirely different type of navigational challenge. There were several palinas and boats moored to the side. It shrank the amount of navigable water I could use. It was even more different from the sheltered practice harbor at Orange Planet than the Canal Grande had been.

Thunk.

"Sorry. Sorry."

I had knocked the front of the gondola against some stonework on the side of the canal.

The impact felt just as bad as when I collided with a wall when I rowed with Ariel. With Ariel I had the disappointment of my failure to live up to the expectations of my Prima. However she also was fully aware that I was a new Undine and was still learning the weird ways of forward rowing. She was there to help so some level of expectation was set. With this "customer" I had no such shelter. It was true that he was a cat, but I still felt like I had somehow let him down.

"Nya, nya nya, nya nyaa." I could feel the encouragement from Punya. It helped a lot in making me feel better.

I pushed backward a bit to recenter the gondola and then continued forward again. It was slow even by my standards. After the hustle and bustle of the Canal Grande I wanted to take my time and enjoy this other side of Aqua.

There were still people all around me. Their sporadic presence made itself known as they casually went about on their own pace doing their own thing. It was much more emblematic of how I pictured Neo Venezia of being as compared to the tourist-filled Grand Bridge. The winding passages and seeming timelessness of the city surrounded me. I lost myself in the moment as I went. The side canals had far more turns than the main thoroughfares. Visibility was difficult at times and it was easy to imagine each canal being identical to the last despite the subtle differences in character of the buildings.

"Gondola passing through," somebody said. It wasn't a declarative shout, or even a proud announcement. I doubt it would have carried in the Canal Grande, but we weren't in the Canal Grande. It was so quiet that I could almost convince myself that I had imagined it. The girl's voice was only just audible in the near-silence of the smaller canals I was taking Punya through.

I let my gondola drift to a stop by the intersection I thought the voice had come from. I was in no hurry for anything.

A black gondola slipped across the intersection in front of me. It moved as quickly and as elegantly as any white gondola rowed by a Prima. It was so smooth that for a moment I thought it was a white gondola. Piloting the gondola was somebody from Orange Planet. I could only look on in awe. Her long hair streamed backwards in the wind, and it struck home how much more practice I would need to catch up with everybody else. But I was a new Single. That was only to be expected.

And then I noticed. She wasn't a Single. She was a Pair. She had a white and yellow glove, so similar to mine, on both her left as well as her right hand.

"Ehhh?" I asked, but the girl had crossed the intersection was gone before I could gather my wits enough to do anything else.

I pushed forward as quickly as I could, trying to get a better view, trying to confirm that this had actually happened and it hadn't been some illusion in this mysterious city. By the time I managed to move the boat length forward into the intersection the waterway was empty. If the girl had been real then she had already rowed past the long gentle curve of the path. There wasn't even the remains of a boat's passing wake to signify that she hadn't been a ghost.

"You saw that too, right?"

"Punya?"

"She was a Pair, on her own."

"Nya."

"Do you know what that means?"

"Nya, punya nya nya, punya."

I mulled over it. I knew Pairs weren't allowed into Neo Venezia. I had tried myself in the past. But that girl had been there on her own. Granted she was better than I was, but rules were rules. I had been told that enough times in the past few months. I wondered what I should do about it.

"Punya?"

"Sorry, sorry," I said. I shook myself aware and pushed away the question of what to do or not do about that strange girl. I would consider it at a later time. I started nudging the gondola forward again and out of the intersection I had been blocking.

"You know, the way you act makes me want to believe what that tour book says about Neo Venezian cats," I mentioned to Punya.

"Nya?"

It was in the section about local folklore. I had read that section a couple of times while I had been whiling the hours away in Orange Planet. It was a way to still feel like a part of something bigger in the city despite being in an isolated climate-controlled room. The various legends were both amazing and mundane, scary and wonderful. I had never expected to really talk to a customer about them.

"They say that the cats here in Neo Venezia are different than the cats back on Manhome, where I grew up. They say that the cats here are magical, and that they can see across time and space. Pretty interesting, isn't it?"

"Punya."

"That's not all, either. There's lots of other legends about them. It's said that the aqua-colored eyes of the cats bring good luck on the water, so each of the Undine companies in Neo Venezia has a 'president' who is a cat." I looked a bit closer at Punya. "Kind of like your eyes."

"Punya!"

"It's too bad I can't bring you back home with me. Orange Planet doesn't allow any pets, except for the President, of course." It would have been nice. Punya seemed so friendly and understanding. "Besides, I'm sure you already have an owner, with that ribbon and hat. I'd like to meet her some day."

"Nya."

Punya was so good in a boat. Not at all like what I would have expected from a cat. "Is she an Undine, maybe? Maybe her name is Aria?" I read off the side of his hat. That made me pretty sure that she must have been an Undine. It was yet another name which began with an "A" after all.

"Nya. Punya nya, nya."

"Anyway, let's go!"

"Punya!"

I pushed forward again with renewed vigor.

The sites to see in these side passages were very different than the ones in the Canal Grande. They were spaced out much farther apart. This gave me time to think and prepare for each of them before they came close. It meant that whenever I reached each of the tourist attractions I had a much better idea of the major points I wanted to highlight.

My talks could have gone better. There was far more in the tour books than I was able to remember, and I fumbled with my words a lot. It was good practice.

The wide spacing of the sites meant I was both able to as well as forced to spend much more time concentrating on my rowing. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. It meant I could be much more careful in my rowing, but it also meant I noticed every dip and bob and veer of the gondola. The mistakes taunted at me. Rowing forwards was not nearly as second nature to me as rowing backwards had become.

The nature of the sites along these side canals was different as well. They weren't big must-see tourist attractions like the Doge's Palace, but they were just as fascinating. I just chanced upon them. There would be a little shrine of the Virgin Mary at an intersection, or a garden filled with flowers grown with a beauty and passion surpassing even the well-kept courtyard in Orange Planet. Inside a window I saw a massive model which caught my eye. A closer look showed me that it was a model of Neo Venezia, as intricate as any map I had ever seen. Nobody was around, and as I left I wondered who was building it. A chance glance upward and I saw a remarkable sight. Lined up just right I could make it look like a statue was cradling one of the floating islands high in the sky within its arms.

I would pause at each one of these sites, stopping to experience each and every sight. This was only partially due to the "customer" I had within my gondola. Punya seemed to have as much interest in the punctuations which dotted the scenery as I did. In fact Punya had waved me down a couple times and caused me to see the windmills in the distance intertwined between a row of trees looking like another line of waving man-made trees, or to hear the light sound of the wind between the buildings which sounded almost like singing.

The people in these quiet back channels were different too. There was a definite feeling around the more popular tourist locations of the city. Visitors from Manhome and from across Aqua had a certain style of casualness in what they wore and how they acted. The people who interacted with them also had a certain panache of behavior and attitude. The Undines of Orange Planet, the merchants, and the performers all carried a certain amount of scripted joyful frivolity. In these quieter areas of the city away from the hustle and bustle that uniformity was stripped away. People wore what they wanted to and acted as they were inclined to. The genuine quirks of humanity were evident all around me unhidden from the world. Some people had their laundry hanging on their balconies, and I crossed some funny people who all wore sunglasses and dark clothes while carrying large bundles of bags. It was the kind of thing you would never see in St. Marco Square. It was like the difference between being with your aunt versus being with your mother.

It was only when I was rowing into the sunset, the light basking my face in warmth, that I realized exactly how late it was. I had rowed all morning and all afternoon. I felt like I could have gone on forever. I wasn't tired or hungry at all despite having skipped lunch and rowing without taking a break.

With that realization that I hadn't eaten lunch the pangs of hunger suddenly hit me all at once.

"I think that's it for me today."

"Punya nya-nya, punya."

Even Punya was a bit less energetic than he had been in the morning.

"Is there anywhere in particular I should drop you off?"

"Nya." He shook his head.

I maneuvered the gondola over to a set of stairs on the side of the canal. Once the boat had drawn still, Punya hopped over the edge of the gondola onto dry land.

"Punya-nya." He stood on his hind legs and waved to me.

"Hahii," I said as I waved back.

Punya walked away deliberately. I pushed the gondola away from the land equally deliberately and started making my way back to Orange Planet.

The sunlight cast Neo Venezia in a rich orange. It changed the city in ineffable and unmistakable ways. There was residual clumps of people everywhere, but the tenor was different than the morning. There was a heavy lethargy in the air which dampened the bright excitement from the start of the day. Tourists were making their way indoors, and friends were saying their goodbyes. The crowds were thinning and growing subdued. The city slowly went through the motions of putting itself to bed.

It took a long time for me to wind my way back to Orange Planet. The sun was low in the sky as the familiar sight of Orange Planet appeared in front of me. There was no danger of darkness yet, but there was the danger of having a danger of darkness in a few minutes. The sun slowly crept deeper, and some lights had been lit along the canal in preparation. There were a few others gondolas along the canal as well. All white. All Primas coming back from town. I was the only black gondola in sight. I looked around, but I did not see Ariel among the fellow Undines in the canal. In fact I didn't recognize any of the few Primas who were returning home.

The dazzling white gondolas, drenched in orange and red from the sun low in the sky, diverged paths from me. They continued straight while I took a minor detour to the side.

I continued forward to the hole connecting Orange Planet's inside and outside that I had exited this morning. It now instead formed an entrance. I proceeded through it to the back area where the trainee gondolas were kept far from public eye.

"You're back late," the old man who watched the area said. He was still sitting near the training port. He always seemed to be there. I hadn't paid too close attention, but I couldn't remember a time I hadn't seen him in his chair and smoking his pipe. He was the only one present. The Pairs had long since abandoned the training area, and I didn't see any Singles near me either.

"Mister, mister," I said. "I saw this girl out there, in Neo Venezia. She was a Pair, but out there all on her own." I waggled both of my hands in excitement, trying to signify the fact that girl had still had on both of her gloves.

"So you saw Alice-chan?"

"Hahii?" I froze. The subdued reaction of the man took me aback. Certainly I had expected more from the man who had insisted that I wasn't allowed to go out into Neo Venezia back when I had been a Pair.

"Incredible, isn't she?" he continued saying.

"You know who she is?" I asked.

He gave a laugh. "Of course. Young girl. Long hair. About this tall? She just got scouted from her school rowing club. The higher-ups are watching her closely."

"How come she gets to go out into Neo Venezia?"

He shrugged. "Special permission."

I rowed off to dock the gondola in its final storage place for the night. As I rowed I mused on how lucky Alice was such that she could row in Neo Venezia despite still being a Pair. I had wanted nothing more than that just the previous day. Given how smoothly Alice had gone, she had deserved it too. She had slipped so quietly and smoothly through the water that I hadn't even been sure I had really seen her.

The dock was mostly full of other gondolas. It made it a bit difficult to maneuver my gondola into position. Even with the still water it was a bit tricky. But I was in no special hurry, except for my stomach urging me on. I did accidentally knock into some other boats as I moved forward, but I was moving so slowly that I was sure it wouldn't leave a mark.

I tied the gondola to the palina as best I could once I had moved it into place.

"All finished," I announced to myself.

I walked with deliberate purpose to the cafeteria in search of some dinner.

"Have a nice night," I called out to the man.

He nodded and grunted something back.

The halls of Orange Planet were subdued, much like the city as a whole. The evening gave the oranges and yellows of the hallway a more mellow ambiance as compared to the sunlight in the morning. The black windows seemed to suck light out rather than project it inward. It was the same place, but it felt so different. Everything felt a bit somber as people settled in for the evening. There were occasional pairs and trios of people wandering about for some evening activity. Their movement was bereft of the purpose and hustle of the morning and afternoon business hours.

By this late hour the cafeteria was relatively empty. Several food stations had only the entrails of salad or the dregs of pasta remaining. A couple had outright closed, and one or two others were being packed up. Of the few people in the room, I could only see Primas. Most of them kept to themselves, but a couple of them ate in small gatherings. The noise of amiable companionship that came from those tables echoed across the room with a distinction unheard of when the cafeteria was crowded. It made the room seem much smaller than it really was.

"Late day today?" the chef from the morning asked me. He had paused in his stirring of a pot of soup to talk to me. It looked like a potato chowder. It smelled absolutely delicious.

"Hahii."

"I usually only see Primas here this late."

"I got caught up with my practice."

"This late? Don't let them push you too hard."

"I did it myself. I got to go row in Neo Venezia on my own for the first time. It was fun." I enthused. I still felt excited for the day I had just experienced. Despite being hungry and despite being tired, if I had my way I would go out again right after dinner. Neo Venezia at night must have been be a very different experience than during the day. The late summer air was easily warm enough to support it.

"I see," he said. "Well, let's get some food into you."

"Thank you," I answered as he recommended a couple of dishes for dinner among the remains still available.

Dinner was a lonely affair. The relative emptiness of the cafeteria made my eating alone stand out less. Most of the Primas in the room were doing the same. The companionable conversation made the room seem animated despite the few people present. It was a cross between Manhome and the small restaurants which dotted Neo Venezia. The food had the flavor of mass produced quantities with the loving hand-crafted detail of everything on Neo Venezia.

Once I had satiated my stomach I returned back to my dormitory room. I stopped by the mail room along the way. The only thing there was a rather stiff and formal looking letter from HR talking about the importance of working at the traghetto and that I was scheduled to be there tomorrow and that I was to attend. It was enough to spoil the good mood I had gained from the day in Neo Venezia and the abbreviated dinner I had just eaten. It wasn't fair. It would have been one thing if I had been told about it and not gone, but nobody had even told me in the first place. I hadn't done anything wrong, but I was still worried.

For that matter, I still wasn't even sure what this traghetto was. The only thing I knew about it was what Ariel and the others had told me earlier in the morning. I skimmed the letter a second time, but it didn't shed any light either.

I returned to my room. My silent room. It would have been like that whether Adriana was present or absent. In this case she was absent. That made it easier. It was less awkward to not be pointedly ignored, although it meant that there wouldn't be a chance for me to try to make up with her either.

Tomorrow would be another day. Another chance to make up. Another chance to see Neo Venezia. Another opportunity to live the dream I had dreamed of back on Manhome.

* * *

Last Updated: November 26, 2015


	8. 8: That Hidden World…

Chapter 8: That Hidden World...

If it wasn't for the fact I was too excited to be tired, I would have been tired. I had spent hours the night before carefully planning my intended tour through the city. It took a lot of detailed research as I read and reread my tour books to refresh my memory of all the different sites along the route. Even once I finally got to the point where I was confident enough to go to bed, I still found it hard to actually fall asleep.

My nervousness continued to affect me and caused me to wake up early in the morning. It was early enough such that I could enjoy the sunrise. The sun was rising later and later as winter slowly crept upon the city. That would still be a fair time away. The seasons passed by extra slow on Aqua, and the winter uniform I wore was more than enough to counter the random gusts of wind and early preludes of chill.

The winter uniform I put on was very similar to the summer one. It had longer sleeves, heavier cloth, and everything that could be done to fight of bite of winter while still looking like the emblematic Undine uniform. The weight and the warmth weren't needed within Orange Planet, but they were a welcome change for when I left the sheltered building into the open city.

I left Adriana still lounging in her bed and sneaked out of the room.

The glowing rays of morning streamed through the windows and cast everything in a fresh new light. It banished the remnants of darkness and was slowly melting away the light fog outside. I was sure the lantern-lit blackness of the night before would be a just a fading memory long before I reached the traghetto station.

The morning as a whole was quite ordinary. It bore no indication that this day would be the first time Akari Mizunashi would be giving a tour at the traghetto. It was early enough that the courtyard garden was empty as I passed by. The thin layer of fallen leaves served as evidence that the gardener had yet to arrive. The cafeteria had several people around for breakfast. It had both the chefs who seemed to work all hours of the day as well as the more numerous Undines. Unlike in the evening, the Pairs and Singles easily outnumbered the Primas in the room.

In the gondola practice harbor it was a different matter. Singles only dominated the area. There were almost no Pairs and no Primas in sight. Much like myself, they were all taking their gondolas and leaving for the exit into Neo Venezia. Within the hour the scene would change with all the Singles being gone and the Pairs taking over. Most of them would have no idea of this dance. I know I hadn't known about it for my first half-year in Orange Planet.

"Good morning," I called out to the old man who oversaw the harbor as a whole.

"Good morning." He barely looked up from the computer he had at his side. It was unusual.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Trying to figure out how this thing works," he said. He tapped a few more keys. "Gahh. And they want us to start using this next month? This is so not ready."

"What is it?" I asked.

"This is that registration program they've been talking about."

"Registration program?" I asked. I hadn't heard anything like that.

"You know. The one in the newsletter they keep talking about," he said. "The deal is that all the Undines will need to start registering their itinerary before going out into the city."

"But I don't even know where I'll be going half the time," I said.

"You think you got it bad. They got me being the one who has to enforce it. And this stupid thing... no, no, no..." he said. He started frantically pushing buttons on the computer keyboard again. He was now fully engaged with it, paying no more attention to me.

I waited a second before leaving. I could tell he was distracted and I didn't want to add to his confusion.

It was like a mini-migration as all of us Singles left the tunnel out of Orange Planet into Neo Venezia. I felt like I was like a little ant, leaving the nest with countless others as we all left to wherever we were going.

Neo Venezia in the early morning sunlight was amazing. Even though I had seen it the day before, even though I had seen it for weeks upon months, it still took my breath away. I wondered when it would ever stop being so incredible. I hoped never.

At my destination there was a large gathering of Undines along the shore. All of them were Singles. It gave me confidence that I had correctly found the right place for the traghetto.

I docked my gondola and joined in the crowd. I wasn't exactly sure what was supposed to happen. There were far more Singles than I had imagined. I counted dozens upon dozens of them. I waited to see what would happen.

The whole process was disorganized, but groups of Undines would gather and leave. I kept looking for some cue or signal or something else which would explain what was going on, but none came. I failed to see what exactly was going on.

I continued to wonder what was supposed to happen as the crowd shrank. And shrank. And shrank. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Most of the Singles had left by this time somebody approached me. She had the yellow accents of an Orange Planet uniform on her.

"Hey there. I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Hahii," I answered. "Akari Mizunashi is here."

She stared at me wide-eyed for a second and then giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Akari Mizunashi. I assume you are here for the traghetto?"

"Hahii."

"Why don't you come with us? We could use a bit more help. My name is Ami."

"Hahii."

Ami led me to meet up with two other Singles. She introduced us by saying, "I found a fourth for us. This is Akari-chan. Akari-chan, this is Alana-chan and Amanda-chan."

Alana wore a Hime-Ya uniform, complete with red accents and high heeled shoes. Her small round hat looked like a scoop of white ice cream sitting on top of her extremely short hair. She held herself rigid and stiff. Right beside her was Amanda, who was much more relaxed in comparison. Her uniform had a green accent I didn't recognize. She must have been from one of the smaller Undine companies which dotted the city.

"Nice to meet you," I greeted both of them as they greeted me in return.

Ami led the four of us away from the meeting area. Left behind was a group of Singles far smaller than when I had joined. It was still more Singles than I had seen in any place besides the cafeteria in Orange Planet.

We continued on our way. I wasn't as familiar with this area of Neo Venezia. We passed site after site on foot, most of which I knew from the different tour books I had read throughout the months. Various factoids and details of the different sites sprang to mind automatically as I passed. The scenes were just as photogenic as the pictures had led me to believe. I could even see some of the angles the photographers must have used. I wondered if they looked the same from the water. If my past experience with Neo Venezia was anything to go by, they would look even more amazing from a gondola.

"I don't think I've seen you before," Alana said to me as we walked.

"I was just promoted two days ago," I said. I held up both my hands, showing off my unprotected left hand. I was proud of my achievement. I was worried about it. A bit of both mixed within me.

"Bother. A new person. Couldn't you have found somebody who's done this before?" Amanda asked.

My face froze. That was definitely not the type of reception I had been hoping for.

"We were all new once. It'll be fine. She is from Orange Planet after all," Ami defended. She gave a wry grin back to the three of us. It would have been much more convincing if in doing so she hadn't come within a hairsbreadth of running into a lamppost.

We walked through the many streets of Neo Venezia. They were still mostly empty in the quiet morning as the city slowly woke up itself up. Ami led us through turn after turn. I wasn't as familiar with this part of town, but that was improving as we walked onward. I recognized a couple of the more prominent buildings as we past by them. Flashes of large paragraphs of prose and florid descriptions of the equally florid buildings continued to come to mind as we progressed onward.

By this point we were about three long streets and turns away from where we had first congregated. And my gondola was even farther away than that. There was no indication of us slowing, either. I was getting worried about how far I would need to take a passenger back to get to my gondola. It was enough for me to finally raise the question.

"Umm... aren't we going kind of far away? Where are we going?" I asked, some five or so turns since we had left.

"The station we usually run is near Piazzale Roma," Amanda said.

"Piazzale Roma?" I asked. The name sounded familiar to me. It took me a few seconds to realize where I had heard of it before. It was one of the major transit stations near the edge of the city. "Isn't that pretty far from here?"

"Not that far by foot. It'll only a few more minutes," Ami said.

"What about our gondolas?" I asked.

"What about them?" Alana asked back.

"Don't we need our gondolas? For the passengers?" I asked.

Amanda scoffed. Ami laughed. Alana giggled a bit too, although she also said, "No. There's no way we'd be able to fit enough people on them."

"Enough people?" I asked.

"Yeah. We get 10, 15, sometimes 20 or more at a time," Alana said.

20 people? Traghetto must have been a lot more popular than I had though. I was suddenly worried. How was I supposed to be able to handle a group that large. I was nervous enough with the prospect of having two people for my first real tour, let alone 20.

"We use special gondolas for traghetto," Amanda added.

Special gondolas? It just got worse and worse. Hopefully they weren't too special. I had never used anything besides a regular gondola, even in the simulations back at Manhome. I didn't even know they made special gondolas, although upon reflection I shouldn't have been too surprised that they did.

"Don't worry about it. We row two at a time. It'll be fine," Ami said. The reassurance made me feel a lot better.

In this case the special gondolas turned out to be extra large gondolas. They were long and looked more like a bus turned into boat form. I immediately saw what they meant about having two Undines rowing it. It was far from merely being a nicety. The long vehicle would need definitely need multiple people to operate. Probably need multiple people. A Prima might be able to handle it on her own. Maybe. I was certain that at least I wouldn't be able to handling solo.

I wasn't as familiar with this special gondola. I watched with wide eyes as Ami, Alana, and Amanda loosened and prepared the traghetto. It was kind of the same as my ordinary black gondola. Kind of. There were enough differences with its large size that it was obviously different, but not so much that I thought it would be that big a change.

"Why don't you take the back and I'll take the front this first time. I'll show you this route," Ami suggested. I was eager to agree.

Even in the quiet morning hours of Neo Venezia there was enough traffic that a couple people made their way on to the traghetto. Like a light switch, Ami's face would snap into a smile when she found herself on stage whenever a customer appeared. An old woman here. A sharply dressed man there. Some teenagers carrying backpacks too.

The passengers were an incongruous set. There were a couple of tourists, but we had some children in school uniforms right next to them, and a woman in a business suit. We collected a total of seven of them before Ami declared we were leaving.

Ami's declaration took me off guard. The gondola wasn't even half full. I wanted to ask about it, but I was conscious of the numerous passengers I would need to yell over to reach the front of the boat. I may not have been very experienced, but even I knew that would be a faux pas for an Undine.

I instead concentrated myself on rowing forward. The entire process felt different than what I normally felt. The boat was much less responsive than normal. I wasn't sure if it was because the boat was so much larger than my black gondola, or if it was because the boat contained so many more people than my typically empty boat. I was sure that that was why we had two Undines rowing the traghetto. Regardless, it was something of a mixed curse. It made it harder to steer, harder to push forward, and harder to slow down. It also made the gondola more stable and less likely to wobble despite the several people still standing on their feet.

It was definitely good practice for my rowing technique. There were the unexpected motions from people boarding, disembarking, and shuffling around on the boat itself. It was something I hadn't regularly experienced during my own practice. The boat was stable enough that there was almost no chance of a disaster occurring, but there was still enough give for me to feel the massive gondola responding which allowed me to try to compensate for it. With that and the increased difficulty moving the boat, the overall effect was that this traghetto was great practice. I could see why Orange Planet had its Singles doing it.

Ami guided the gondola through some of the busier thoroughfares. The route was great for transportation, but it was less scenic than I had expected. In truth I hadn't studied this area as I had others. It was nowhere near where I had planned my tour to be the previous night. I knew the region, kind of, more or less. I definitely knew it well enough to get around, probably. I didn't know many of the sites, though, and certainly not as well as the route I had spent the night planning. I tried to compensate as well as I could.

As we rowed, I recognized the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. That was something I felt fairly confident about. I announced as loud as I could without outright shouting at the people standing right in front of me in the back of the gondola, "Over there on the right you can see the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. Back in historic Venice on Manhome, it was the headquarters of the city's German merchants. Much like many of the buildings in Venice, it suffered a fire and had burned down centuries ago. The building was rebuilt in the early 16th century and contained about 160 living quarters. The reproduction here was built based on the blueprints from the historic building on Manhome, and serves as a hotel for visitors from both Aqua and Manhome. They pride themselves on historic accuracy and guests can get real experience of living in the 16th century there."

There was more I could have said, but I was forced to cut it short. We hadn't stopped during my explanation. We hadn't even slowed down. By the time I had finished my unexpectedly abbreviated speech the building was long past us and could barely be seen anymore. If this was how it was going to be I would either need to talk faster or say less. Probably both.

"I never knew that," murmured one of the women in the gondola. She had on a very fashionable hat. It might have been my imagination, but I think there were now more people standing closer to the back of the gondola as well. They must have shuffled closer while I had been speaking.

The pressure on me of locating another thing to talk about was relieved when Ami guided the gondola to a dock immediately thereafter. I helped in the tricky maneuver to move the extra large boat into a position parallel to the land and close enough to it for passengers to leave and board the boat. A couple of the passengers did so, but more stayed in place.

"Akari-chan. Traghetto isn't like giving tours," Ami said.

"Hahii," I exclaimed. I must have been daydreaming because I hadn't notice her approach. She was standing right next to me.

"I guess nobody told you. Traghetto is just about transporting people around. It's like a shuttle bus or something. Almost everybody here is a local to Neo Venezia. You don't need to give tour information," Ami said.

"I see." That was unfortunate. It seemed like a waste of an opportunity. There were few enough times I got to go into Neo Venezia. No, wait, I was a Single now. I would be able to go into the city much more often. Despite that, it did feel like a waste of an opportunity to practice giving tours in front of a live audience. Practice on my own should have been the same, but it absolutely wasn't.

During the next segment, when we passed by another site I recognized, I hesitated only a moment. Then, despite what Ami had said, I still announced, "Over on your right you will see Palazzo Dandolo. It was once the familial home of the Dandolos, a noble family in Venice. It was later converted to a hotel on Manhome. When they built this city on Aqua they used paintings as a model to restore the outside to the appearance it had had in the 18th century..."

Keeping in mind the relative fast speed we were traveling, I kept my description of the site equally brief. Even with that, I heard a few people mutter things like "Did you know that? I've lived here my whole life but never knew," and "I think I'll need to take a tour one of these days. Her uniform is Orange Planet's, right?" It gave me the warm glow of satisfaction.

There were the vestiges of chilliness in the air the pending winter insisted should be there. Despite that I was kept comfortably warm due to the exertion of constantly moving the large boat forward. That warmth along with the feeling of satisfaction kept me content as the shuttle service continued on its long path.

We traveled more or less in a loop, which made sense given what I now knew about the traghetto. If it was meant as a form of mass transportation of some kind then it wouldn't make sense to vary the route. As we did continued, I once again got insight into the wide swath of people who comprised Neo Venezia. Some vendors, some business people, some children, some tourists. It was a bit strange to see the housewives sitting next to the camera-wielding tourists, but the traghetto was open for all of them. As we traveled, I crossed path with numerous other Undines. Unlike our varied mix of mostly residents, the white gondolas almost exclusively ferried tourists around. I even saw Alice once as I was describing the Bridge of Sighs for the second time of the day.

One group I couldn't help but notice as we made our rounds was a group of short and oddly dressed people on the side of the road. Rather than the playful and colorful clothing of tourists, the practical clothes of residents, or the bright uniforms of Undines, they instead had on all these dark brown and green and lots of black clothing. They all wore sunglasses as well. The day was bright enough, but nobody else seemed to wear sunglasses around the city. It wasn't the first time I had seen people liked them, but it would be a few days later before I found out what it meant.

* * *

It was a Saturday. There was no traghetto, and I was spending my time practicing rowing in the city. Fortunately the trip registration policy wasn't going to take effect for a few more weeks so my lack of planning ahead didn't cause any problems. I was free to wander around the city to wherever I wanted.

I nominally had the day off, but I couldn't think of anything I would rather be doing than rowing around Neo Venezia in a gondola. That was why I had come to Aqua, after all. The only thing which would have made it better is if there were some guests I could show around the city, but that wouldn't be for a while yet. I knew from my experiences as a Pair that almost nobody ever asked for a tour from a Single.

For now I simply enjoyed the privilege of my new Single status which allowed me into the city.

"Good morning, Undine-chan," a painter I was slowly drifting past greeted me. He was the same painter with the strange wooden framing rectangle I had first met months ago. I saw him throughout Neo Venezia over the months. Sometimes I would see him several times a week. Other times I would go months between encounters.

"Good morning," I said. His wooden frame stood off to the side, but I could still use it to triangulate the painter's target. There was a crimson and golden colored tree there. Autumn was well upon us and the tree reflected all of the grandeur of Neo Venezia as it transformed. "Beautiful," I said under my breath.

"It is, isn't it," he said. A pause. "Want to see more?"

"Can I?"

"Sure. Take a look," he said. He reached down to a small stack of canvases next to him. "See this? This was from three months ago."

He held up the picture of the same tree, now a verdant green. Rich and royal and light and bright. Greens of every shade were present. It made me want to reach out and soak up the summer.

"And this was two weeks later."

There was another painting of the same tree. Some of the emeralds were closer to topazes, and I could almost feel the wind through them.

"And another one. And... well, you get the picture."

There were more. The topazes then turned to ambers, and then rubies, until the same tree was completely different. The changing seasons changed the clothes of the tree, each new shade bringing a new feeling and hearkening the coming of winter. I wondered if it would snow this year. I hoped it would.

"This is that time-lapsed project you were talking about, isn't it? They're very beautiful."

"Thanks. I'm getting close to finishing my whole set. I started last winter."

"That's right. Winter is just around the corner, isn't it?"

He gave a modest laugh. "Not for a few more months."

"Oh yeah. The seasons are twice as long on Aqua than on Manhome, aren't they?"

"Yeah. That always messes up people from Manhome when they first visit."

"Do you think it will snow this year?"

"I'm sure it will. I started on a snowy day. With any luck it will end like that too."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. You too."

And I took my leave, continuing on my way wherever this particular path would lead. There would be time later to pick my path and determine where I would want to be. For now I just enjoyed the freedom of the moment.

With no formal itinerary for this day off I was free to spend my time with whatever struck my fancy. I took a leisurely lunch at a small cafe near the Fenice theater. They had the most delicious gelatos I had yet to find in the city, and it had plenty of places to dock gondolas near by. The last traces of summer heat had long passed, and the sweetness on my tongue in the chilly weather brought an entirely different feeling than six months earlier. Then the icy dessert had been more like a needed refuge against the air. Now it was more of an exciting sharpness which brought life into focus.

I was walking through an alley and making my way back to my gondola when the magic happened. I was thinking about all of the bridges I knew which floated high above the canals and waterways below. The next thing I knew I was also floating through the air. I had just enough time to realize it before I was falling.

"Hahii?"

I landed on the ground. Far from being painful, I landed with a light bounce. And then I was up in the air again. I was tumbling a bit heels-over-head. I landed again on my back and only slightly bounced again. I came to a stop sprawled out on the ground.

I tried to push myself to my feet, but I overdid it. I found myself bouncing again, tumbling slightly as I tried to bobbled forward.

"Hahii."

It took a few more seconds and bounces before I came to a stop again just as sprawled out as the first time.

One more time I tried to push myself to my feet. I moved much more carefully this time. Moving slowly, I managed to get myself to a sitting position.

Something mysterious was happening. Maybe something a bit magical. Something about Neo Venezia somehow made it seem like the impossible could happen. I looked around to see if anybody else was around to see what was happening. Nobody was.

I tried to climb to my feet again but accidentally pushed myself into the air by mistake. It wasn't unexpected by this point. I was prepared so didn't take yet another spill. I did land in a bit of a state and had to wildly wave my hands keep my balance.

Now that I had my feet under me, I took the opportunity to jump up and down a bit. It was actually remarkably fun to do. It was kind of like being on a trampoline, only a trampoline for my whole body. The ground under me was solid and firm, and my arms bounced a bit here and there. I was able to launch myself a couple of meters up in the air. I almost got high enough to be level with the windows of the buildings which surrounded me.

That was when I saw them. The strange people in black. And green. And brown. And beige. And all sorts of dark colors, including but not limited to their sunglasses. They looked not unlike moles who had climbed out into the sunlight, complete with the coating of dust I could see covering their clothes as they drew close.

"There it is, Apa-jichan."

"Hahii?" There were two of them. A young boy, and a much older and shorter man. The boy was pointing straight at me.

"Yes, yes. Don't just dilly-dally. Get on with it."

"Me?" I asked.

"No, not you, miss," the old man said. "Mind getting out of the way?"

"Hahii?" Irrespective of my confusion I carefully moved to the side as the two of them approached. Despite my deliberate motions it still felt like I was skipping as I moved. After I walked a few steps everything abruptly turned back to normal. I almost tripped again out of surprise.

The two dark people approached where I had been bouncing around and starting putting up some caution tape.

"Excuse me," I interrupted. "What are you doing?"

The old man didn't seem hear me, but the young boy answered, "We're marking off the ground here as a safety precaution."

Safety precaution? I could see that. I had tripped earlier. I had landed lightly on the ground, but if I had been carrying something it could have been dangerous.

The though then occurred to me. If they were marking the area then maybe they knew what was happening. I asked, "What's going on here?"

"This?" the old man asked. "The gravity here's a bit messed."

"Gravity? How does gravity get messed up?" I asked.

"Aqua is about one-third the size of Manhome, right?" the young boy asked. I nodded back. It sounded vaguely familiar to me, although I wasn't sure about any of the details or the exact numbers. "That means that the gravity here is only one-third that of Manhome."

"It feels about the same to me," I said.

"Exactly," the boy said, excitedly. "The reason for that is us Gnomes."

"Gnomes?"

"Gnomes."

I stayed silent, waiting for him to explain more.

"The Gnomes' job is to control the gravity and make it be the same as on Manhome."

"Wow," I enthused. "How do you do that?"

"There's a huge network of pipes underneath the city, and throughout the whole planet. The Gnomes control these pipes and send a bunch of stones through them. These stones are specially made to be extremely dense, and by sending them with enough energy we can make them have even more gravitational pull. That's why we're marking this place here. There was a break in the network. We're putting up a warning while we're trying to fix it."

"So my floating around?"

"That's right. The gravity's all messed up," the old man nodded. "We're all done here, Al-kun. Let's head back."

"Okay, Apa-jichan," the boy said back.

The two turned back to the nearby canal.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. The two turned back to look at me. "Can I go see where you work? Please?" I wanted to learn more and more about Aqua. The two Gnomes looked at each other.

Before they could answer, I winced in fearful astonishment at the sound of a tremendous crash. It caught my attention. It caught the Gnomes' attention. It caught everybody's attention as it rebounded between the buildings. Whatever it was, it sounded big.

I ran towards the source of the noise as I could best tell, in the direction of the canal. The two Gnomes did as well. They had a bit of a head start, but I easily caught up to them just before we reached the edge of the water.

It took me a bit of time to piece together the situation. The first thing I saw was a man standing on the deck of a motorboat. He looked a bit dumbfounded and very chagrin. Next to him was a gondola. Nobody was in that boat, and considering that it was very low in the water. The gondola was slowly tipping over as I watched. It looked exceedingly funny right next to my gondola, which stood proud and upright in the water. I got a bit closer and saw the tipping gondola had a large hole in the hull and was taking on water. That explained it.

"Was this your boat? I sort of ran into it. Sorry. I'll pay for the repairs, I promise," the man in the motorboat said.

"What are we going to do now, Apa-jichan?" the younger Gnome, Al, asked the older one.

"Hmm... hmm... hmm... hmm..." the older Gnome, Apa, mumbled to himself. He was shaking his head.

I sensed an opportunity. I offered, "I can take you wherever you are going." Both of the Gnomes turned to look at me. I continued, "I know I'm still a trainee, but it looks like you need some help, and I still want to see where you work."

Time seem to slow. I was sure it was only in my imagination. I held my breath and waited for them to answer. It sounded like the perfect solution to me. They were in need of transportation, and who better to provide that than an Undine. I might only have been a Single, but I was still an Undine. My gondola was right there. And it would be the perfect excuse to be able to see where the Gnomes worked. I would have offered regardless, but it was still a nice perk.

Apa nodded to himself, and then said in a gruff voice, "Okay, missy."

I was tempted to cheer out loud at the success, but I managed to restrain myself to only cheering internally.

Apa exchanged some words with the man in the motorboat while Al and I looked on. The Gnomes' boat had fully capsized now so there wasn't very much else we could do. Their boat was still tied down so it wouldn't go adrift, and it was still floating in the water and clearly visible so it shouldn't be a collision hazard. But it was also mostly under water and there was no way for us to bring it aground. They would need to come back to salvage it.

Once Apa and the man had finished talking, the three of us left the scene. The Gnomes were very patient while I slowly made my way through the canals of Neo Venezia, made all the slower for my passengers. That there were two passengers made it that much trickier to navigate the waterways.

Apa took the lead, both literally and figuratively, as he directed me through the twisting turns of the canals. We made our way off to the side canals, and their subsequent offshoots. It wasn't long until I was somewhere new, not that that was saying very much. We were in the quiet passages which were only frequented by those who had business there. It wasn't because they was dangerous or because they was hidden, but rather because there was no particular reason to go to there. The ambiance was thoroughly and distinctly Neo Venezia, but still managed to be completely different than all of the other neighborhoods I had seen. The green doors, white shutters, and beautiful gardens could have been anywhere in the city, but they were here and the neighborhood was proud for it.

We took a few more turns until we ended up entering a gated tunnel. The gate was only a couple of bars in a simple design. Much like the surrounding neighborhood, there was no reason for me to give it a second thought seeing how there were countless other nearly identical ones in the city. They were nearly identical, but not truly identical. Each neighborhood, each gate was special in its own unique way. In this case it was because the Gnomes were leading me into it.

The long tunnel felt somewhat like when I traveled through the entrance and exit of Orange Planet. There was a corridor dominated primarily by the waterway we were traveling through. It had two distinguishing features which separated it from the portal at Orange Planet, though. The passage was lit by a long string of lamps in the sides of the corridor with their functional wiring plainly visible. It was eminently functional, but far too plain and crass for the tourist-friendly image Orange Planet projected. The other distinguishing feature was the sheer length of the passage. Long after I would have emerged into the courtyard-like port of Orange Planet, there was still no indication that this tunnel would ever come to an end. It felt like we were traveling into the very heart of Aqua.

We did travel further. Much further. But nowhere like to the center of the planet. It was hard to tell given the similarity and uniformity of the seemingly endless corridor. It went on for a fair bit before we eventually made landfall. I docked my gondola next to a couple of others and followed Apa and Al onto the land. We continued on foot through a tunnel just as long as the waterway I had navigated us through. There was a bit of a draft as we walked which grew stronger and stronger as we continued on. Windy. Warm. Musky. Earthy.

I reflexively snapped my hands down against my dress, which had been whipped up from an unexpected whoosh of wind when I entered a huge shaft of open space at the end of the tunnel. It blew upwards far stronger than the draft in the tunnel. There was a enormous open column, descending far out of sight. It looked like somebody had taken a drill bigger than most houses and bored straight down. I couldn't even see the bottom of the hole. All along the sides were doors, and windows, and walkways, and the homely sights of habitation. This was an entirely different world than Neo Venezia high above. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed.

Apa and Al led me down, down, and down further still. We continued all the way down to the sightless bottom of the shaft. We walked down stairs some of the way. We took an elevator for some of the way. We took a break or two, including getting a nice hearty snack. All along the trip the two Gnomes spoke of the work they did. They talked about the gravitational pull between all objects, between people, and how Aqua pulled me towards it. They talked about the gravity stones, how they had been created when the planet had first been colonized, and how they were rapidly circulated to enhance the gravity felt on Aqua.

The tour culminated when we reached the heart of where the Gnomes worked, in the lowest level of this underground city. There the clanking and the thrumming of the gravity stones bouncing around the pipes resonated all around me. When I listened closely I could imagine I heard a melody in the sequences of sounds surrounding me. It was the music of Aqua. In that sense it was appropriate that the controls the Gnomes used looked like a church organ. It would have been equally at home one of the cathedrals on the surface in Neo Venezia as it was here.

My curiosity satisfied and having discovered a whole new hidden side of Aqua and Neo Venezia, I headed back up and out. The trip back seemed much faster than the trip in. Part of it was taking the elevator the whole way and not stopping. The lack of mystery of heading into the unknown must certainty have contributed as well. In short order I was in the drafty corridor and back on my gondola. From there I made my way back through the long tunnel and emerged back into the chilly almost-winter air. It felt all the colder due to the prolonged period of time I had spent in the Gnome's home.

The sun was relatively low in the sky as I made my way back through Neo Venezia. I weaved back and forth through the canals of Neo Venezia as I retraced my path in reverse order to how the Gnomes had led me in the first place. Once I reached a major canal I turned away and followed the familiar path back to Orange Planet. The echoes of discovery from my trip into the underground were still bouncing through me as I reached the tunnel into Orange Planet. It looked that much more ornate but was still similar to the simple tunnel into that hidden world below.

"Good evening. Back early today?" the old man who maintained the practice harbor asked in greeting.

"A bit." I was trying to maneuver my gondola into a proper docking position. I was getting better at it. It was so tricky keeping both ends in line without running into the dock.

"How was your day?"

I paused briefly to look up at him. "It was really fun! I learned all about the Gnomes today. Did you know they are the ones who keep the gravity on Aqua the same as on Manhome?"

"That's pretty unusual. Gnomes usually don't come above ground that often."

"I actually went underground. Did you know they have a giant city down there?" My heartbeat sped up from the excitement of just remembering that trip.

A jolt went through my body as my gondola bumped into the dock. It reminded me that I should pay more attention to my surroundings and less attention to my storytelling. The dock had some padding so it wouldn't leave a mark on either the boat or the dock. Thankfully. If they hadn't had that precaution I can't imagine the number of scars I would have added to the black boat I used every day.

"Did you? I'm surprised you went down there. I heard it can be a bit intimidating." The old man came close and helped me steady the gondola near the dock. There were a few others who arrived as we chatted, but I had never seen him doing the same with anybody else. I was grateful for the help.

"No, it was great. Al-kun and Apa-san showed me around. I got to see the giant organ and everything."

"Hmm? Who are they?"

"They're two Gnomes I helped out. Somebody broke their boat so I took them back home."

"Two Gnomes. Must have been interesting passengers. Did Ariel-san go on your tour as well?"

"Eh-heh-heh... She sort of wasn't there. I took them there by myself."

The man stopped moving and looked over at me. I stopped tying the knot for the gondola and looked back in response.

"You know you aren't supposed to take passengers without a Prima, right?"

"But they weren't really passengers. They were more like friends. It was just a favor, and I was helping out," I said. I was gesturing with my hands for added emphasis. It caused me to accidentally drop the rope by mistake. I needed to lean over to pick it up again. The knot had slipped a bit but it was still mostly in place.

"If you say so," the old man said as he finished tying the rope in place. I was just behind him in finishing my knot.

There wasn't much more to say at that point and my gondola was securely docked, so I bid the man a good evening and made my way to the cafeteria for dinner. After all the walking underground I had worked up an appetite, and I was too tired to go out for something more exotic.

The cafeteria was the same as always. It was maybe a quarter full of people. There were enough tables to support all of the clusters of friends chatting, but there were plenty of empty tables as well. It was quiet enough that there was no long line of people waiting to get their food and there was no rush to make a fast choice from the wide spread of foods laid out.

As always there was a wide selection of dishes. It amazed me how the chefs were able to lay out such a wide variety of cuisine each day with so little repetition. They must have had quite the repertoire to select from. It must have been just as broad as the number of sites all across Neo Venezia. The choices of what to make each day must have added just as much spice of variety as the different meetings and partings of any Prima.

The slow pace of traffic allowed me the time to exchange more than a brief greeting in passing with the chef serving the buffet table as I decided what I wanted to eat. We had a short chat about how our respective days had turned out, and how there had been a good deal on strawberries in the market today. This led to a brief exchange about the different foods before I took my cooling plate to a table to eat.

The strawberry bread was every bit as exotic and delicious as I had expected. The flavor still danced around my mouth as I left the cafeteria and returned to my room. I took a slight detour to the courtyard along the way. The last vestiges of colorful flowers were there, expertly cultivated by a loving hand. A light sheen of yellow, orange, and red leaves covered the ground. They were results of the past few hours which haven't yet had a chance to be swept away. I was sure they would have disappeared by the following morning, only to be replaced by another layer the following evening.

The room was as empty as my mailbox has been when I returned to it. Adriana was nowhere to be seen. I knew that Pair practice had ended quite some time ago, which meant that she was out doing something. I didn't know what that would be. Adriana rarely told me anything. As far as I could tell, ever since my promotion to a Single she had done everything she could to ignore me. If I had to guess I would have guessed that she was out watching some show or something, possibly with the other Pairs or maybe on her own.

The lingering taste of strawberries faded from my mouth some time part way through me reading through a tour book of Neo Venezia, some time between Palazzi Mocenigo and Scuola dei Greci. Even then there was a lingering taste in the back of my tongue like a parting gift of sweetness. My ongoing trips with the traghetto, and the occasional questions from the residents of Neo Venezia, made me want to learn more and more about the city. I found it hard to put the books and magazines down at night. It was only with the knowledge that the earlier I slept the earlier I would be able to go out into the city and experience for myself these things which let me finally put them down.

The next day came as it always did, and I was ready to go out into the city. Along the way to the harbor, though, I ran into Ariel in the hallway. She stopped me and then asked, "So, what do you have to say for yourself, Akari-chan?"

"Hahii?" I could feel the stares of the other Undines all around me.

"Singles aren't allowed to take passengers without a Prima to accompany them." I nodded to what Ariel was saying. "But still I get told this morning that you took two people on a ride yesterday. They were asking me where I was during all this. What am I supposed to tell them?"

"Sorry. I thought it would be okay. It wasn't a tour. It was more like taking some friends on my gondola," I said hopefully.

"You know the rules. Even friends aren't allowed on company gondolas."

"Hahii." I said. I felt dejected. "I was just trying to help out."

"Well, don't. Do you know how much trouble that causes?"

"Hahii," I agreed softly.

"Where's the fare you collected?" Ariel asked.

"Fare? I didn't collect any fare." Who could think of collecting fares? It was more like giving a favor for some friends. Newly met friends, to be fair, but they were still friends. Who would think of trying to collect money from a friend?

Ariel gave a long sigh. "Akari-chan. Orange Planet is a business. You can't just go around giving free rides to people." She shook her head. "I guess it might be better this way." Ariel gave another sigh. Not as long as the first one. "Anyway, I managed to convince HR that this didn't need to go in your file. We talked, and as far as I'm concerned it all taken care of. Just... don't do it again."

"Hahii."

What a miserable way to start a day.

* * *

Last Updated: December 10, 2015


	9. 9: That Necessary Thing…

Chapter 9: That Necessary Thing...

The horoscope for the day had seemed beneficent. "Aquarian Blood Type A: Look for good fortune in hard work."

The meaning was clear to me, and I kept it in mind while I went through my morning routines of dressing and eating and everything else. It inspired me with thoughts of what was to come. I was sure the horoscope would add that bit of extra motivation for my practice today. I wondered what my extra attentiveness to rowing would bring with it.

My breakfast was delicious, and the step out into the cold practice area was just as shocking as it was every time. This was the coldest part of the day. The harbor was exposed to the gusts from the ocean without any buildings to moderate the wind. It would take several minutes of rowing before I would forget the heated comfort of Orange Planet and start to warm myself from my own exertions.

It was only when I went to retrieve my own gondola for my almost daily practice into Neo Venezia that I learned my interpretation of the morning horoscope was necessarily wrong.

"Sorry, Akari-chan, but you can't take a gondola out today."

"Hahii?" That was a new one. Usually I would exchange a simple greeting in passing with the old man who minded the gondolas. We would occasionally chat a bit about family, or policies, or food, or whatever other topic happened to come up. This was the first time he had outright told me I couldn't take my gondola.

"You're on the grounded list," the man said. He turned a computer monitor around to face me and pointed. Written on the screen plain for me to see was my name. A stab of worry went through me.

"I am? What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

"Don't know. They never tell me anything. All I got is a list of people who can't take out gondolas, and you're on it."

"Can you make an exception?" I asked.

"Sorry, Akari-chan. No can do. If I did then I'd be the one in trouble. I might even lose my job."

"So what do I do now?"

"Not sure. I'd go see HR. They should be able to tell you what's going on."

I was devastated. This result completely undermined my horoscope. It was nothing at all like good fortune. I couldn't even work hard today.

It was with more than a slight amount of trepidation that I made my way to Aldo, in the Human Resources section of Orange Planet. It was a fair walk to reach there, with the path passing by the entrance, courtyard, and several other picturesque areas of the building. I couldn't bring myself to appreciate any of it, though. The physical trip might have been relaxing, but mentally it was very stressful. The lump in my stomach from when I had been told I was in trouble still sat there and weighed me down too much to absorb any of my surroundings. And as I got closer to my destination and closer to the potential scolding within, that lump grew heavier and heavier. It felt like I was walking through some magnetic field both weighing me down and pushing me away. It was almost like the Gnomes had messed up the gravity again, although I knew it was just my nerves.

I reached Aldo's office. The door was open, but I knocked anyway to announce my arrival. The man was sitting there doing something involving a lot of typing on his computer. I wasn't sure if it was rude to interrupt or not, but I didn't have any other ideas of places to go to find out why I had been grounded.

"Excuse me," I asked in a quiet, hesitant voice.

"Akari-chan," Aldo greeted promptly. He stopped working on his computer and looked up. "I was expecting you."

"I was told I was put on the grounded list and I should visit you?" It was a struggle to force the words out in my quiet voice.

"That's right. Sorry about that, but you're in violation of Corporate Regulation 374."

"I am? What's that?" I asked. My nerves shook and the lump in my stomach fell to my feet. I tried to keep up a brave face, not knowing what else to do.

"You're behind on your training," Aldo said. He typed a few things on his computer as he spoke. "If I remember... that's right, you need to take your 'Gondola Safety' course. You won't be allowed to row a gondola until that's done."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. For a moment I thought I had been in real trouble. I had had phantoms of being demoted or fired or something else dancing around in my head. However it was just my compliance training. It wasn't all fine, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.

"Gondola safety training? Do I really need to do that again? I just took it... umm... four months ago?" I thought back. I wasn't quite sure, but four months sounded about right. It all kind of blended together. It had just been a computer video with a couple of multiple choice questions at the end. It hadn't really stuck out in my mind.

"It's an annual requirement. Everybody needs to finish their training by the start of the new year."

"Do I really need to? I've been using the simulators for years. I've been using a gondola here for months too. Can't I just go on the water now? I'll take it tonight, I promise." I offered.

"No, Akari-chan. It's a corporate regulation," Aldo said with a shrug. "Once you finish the course you'll be taken off the list and be able to go out on the water again tomorrow."

I tried one or two more times to see if Aldo could make an exception for me, but in the end it was fruitless. It seemed that I would need to take that training before I could row out into Neo Venezia again. It was quite annoying.

The good news was that the training would just take me about an hour to finish. The bad news was that even once I had done so I still wouldn't be able to take a gondola out for the day. It would take a day for my records to be updated.

Leaving the Human Resources area was much more banal than the approach had been. My worry and stress had been replaced with a sense of despondent resignation. The tunnel vision I had experienced on the way to Aldo had disappeared, even if I wasn't exactly in a state to appreciate the beauty all around me. Somebody had taken the time to replace some of the pictures on the wall with some scenes more reminiscent of winter. There were still several pictures of grassy fields or tropical festivals, but there were more snowy hills and starry skies than there had been before. It made me look outside and think about how different the city looked covered in white.

I made my way back to my room. I thought I should finish my training immediately before I got sidetracked and forgot about it. The worst thing that could happen would be neglecting it for yet another day, which would have meant that I wouldn't be able to row tomorrow either. Missing one day was already an annoyance, but being grounded for two days in a row would have been a tragedy.

Orange Planet felt so different than normal. The Undines I would always see when I walked around the building in the morning were gone. They were all out on the water instead, doing what I wanted to be doing. The few people who remained were varied and all different. Each one of them went about doing whatever job they were to do. Fixing the wall. Cleaning the hallways. Replacing the pictures.

My room was empty, as expected. No matter how quickly Adriana and the others tried to finished their practice, it was still far too early for them to be back. I had the room to myself. Not that it mattered. Adriana was still giving me the silent treatment.

I opened my computer and ran the training video. It was exactly as I had remembered it. The first time I had watched months earlier I had been interested by a few ideas and tips which I hadn't known. This time I had literally heard it all before. Even the sound effects and exciting music did little to impress me. I wanted to be on the water instead. The hardest part of this training was to trying to stay awake. I think I might have accidentally started dozing off a bit as the video played on and on. That didn't hamper me, though. The repeated content made it fairly easy to pass the little test at the end of the course. All of the questions were the same as before.

I had scored something like a 80% or 90% or something. I didn't care enough to remember what my score had been. It was enough to pass. That was all I cared about. My eyes felt half glazed by that point. It had taken longer than I had remembered to finish. The sun was high in the sky and my stomach felt decidedly hungry by the time the little certificate of completion was presented on the screen.

After my efforts to complete the troublesome training course I felt like I deserved the good fortune of a nice lunch. I could decide what else to do with my day after that immediate need had been satisfied. I couldn't go out on a gondola, but that was no reason I couldn't find some other way to enjoy the afternoon.

I debated changing my clothes. It was a minor thing. If I hadn't been in my room I probably wouldn't have even bothered. The main reason I would change was that I wasn't doing anything Undine related and I didn't want to give anybody the wrong impression. The debate was quickly resolved by a grumble from my empty stomach. It would take time to change, and I really wanted to get something to eat sooner rather than later. The winter Undine uniform did a fine enough job of keeping the bite of winter cold away from my skin, and I didn't want to wait even the mere minutes it would take to change into another outfit.

For the second time of the day I left my room. The halls were more or less empty as I casually made my way through the halls yet again. It was much more quiet than in the morning, when all of the other Undines were going about getting started for the day as well. By this point everybody had long since left for wherever they were going to go. In contrast, I had nowhere in particular I needed to be and no particular deadline to be there. I could take my time and go at my own pace. It was like having an unexpected day off.

The cafeteria likewise was mostly empty. It was open, but there were few people there. The food remained displayed out in a spread just as impressive as it always was, but much of it remained untouched due to the low demand for the midday meal. It was a bit sad, but a bit lucky as well. It meant that I could still have my choice of foods. I helped myself, secure in the knowledge that I could have my fill of anything I chose and not deprive anybody else of their favorites.

I was nearing the end of my meal when the young chef I frequently saw in the cafeteria came out. Unlike usual I didn't see him serving a hot buffet this time. He was instead picking up the food platters one at a time to ferry back to the kitchen. It was on his fourth, maybe his sixth, trip that he noticed me. He redirected his path back to the kitchen a bit and walked near me. He asked, "Akari-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Chef-san," I answered back. As embarrassing as it was I actually didn't know his name, and it felt weird to ask him now after I had been casually chatting with him for months. "I wasn't allowed to go out on the water today."

"Why's that?"

"I missed one of my training videos and they blocked me. It should be fixed for tomorrow," I answered. It still felt a bit sour to me.

"That's good. So what do you plan on doing today, then?"

"I'm not sure. I think after lunch I'll probably go out into Neo Venezia and look around." I could spend a good half of the day out in the city still. If I was back in time for dinner it would be fine. If I got sidetracked somewhere and ended up eating in a local cafe instead then it would be so much the better.

"Are you coming, or are you going to stand around talking all day?" a louder voice from the kitchen entrance called out.

"Coming," the chef answered. He turned to me and said, "Sorry. Everybody's out sick today and we're a bit short staffed."

"You are? That must be really hard for you," I said. I thought about it. I could still go out into Neo Venezia. On the other hand, if the chef's kitchen really was in as much trouble as it sounded like then there was another option too. "If you want I can help out."

"You sure? I don't want to waste your day off."

"Hahii," I said, nodding my head enthusiastically. I had only really encountered the aspects of Orange Planet directly related to my Undine responsibilities. I had never had a chance to explore the other parts of the company, such as how the cafeteria worked. After eating there so many times I couldn't help but wonder what happened in the kitchen behind the closed doors.

"Well, why not? Grab that tray and follow me," the chef said.

I dutifully picked up the large metal serving tray and followed behind the chef through the double doors into the kitchen. It was very different than what I had expected. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I had maybe been expecting something bigger, and brighter, and maybe with lots of gleaming metal, like with numerous pots and pans dripping from the walls and ceilings. That was not what I saw.

It was a smallish area, maybe a fifth the size of the dining area. It was very organized, but it was obviously well-used as well. Stains from food speckled the walls and tables. There was no actual solid splots of mess anywhere, but the remnants of speckles were embedded on every surface which would forever be discolored. The air was a bit more humid and a lot hotter than the dining area outside.

"Who are you?" an older chef in the kitchen asked. It was the same voice who had called out to the chef earlier.

"Mizunashi Akari. I'm an Undine in Orange Planet," I announced.

"Yeah, so what are you doing back here?"

"Akari-chan's going to help us out today," the chef I was more familiar said on my behalf.

"Hmm..." the older chef mused. "Can you take orders?"

"Hahii!" I clicked my heels together and stood straighter. I would have saluted with my free hand if I had had a free hand.

"Hmm... Okay. Put that tray down and grab an apron and hat. We're going to work you hard."

"Hahii." I placed my tray over on a table where the other serving platters had been set and went over to the hangers on the side of the room. There were a lot of white aprons hanging off the hooks there. There were so many aprons, maybe half a dozen or so, as compared to the just the two chefs in the kitchen.

I rolled up my sleeves, selected an apron and hat and random, and prepared to do my duty. The white covering blocked the emblem of Orange Planet on the front of my Undine uniform, making me appear in all white just like the chefs. I mused, "Today I get to be a chef-san too."

"That's right. The first thing to do is to help clean up," the younger chef said. I resumed following behind him back into the cafeteria. The half-full platters were still out and waiting for our attention. Between the two of us it was fast work to bring them back to the kitchen and place them on the long table next to the sink.

Before we had finished, the older chef intercepted me on the way out on another trip and maneuvered me back to the large sink. He said, "Get cleaning."

"Hahii!" I checked that my sleeves were still rolled up and grabbed the nearest platter. "Umm... what should I do with the leftovers?"

"Toss them. The bin's right next to you."

It seemed like such a waste. All of that lovingly crafted food, thrown away, never to be appreciated by anybody. It was so sad. But there was nothing to be done for it. I tipped the tray up and over the bin. About half of it came out immediately, and a few bangs against the side of the bin knocked most of the bits which had clung to the tray free. The beef stroganoff looked much less appetizing in the sloppy pile it fell into.

I grabbed a scrubber, some soap, the water, and I was soon elbow-deep in soap suds. Plates, platters, pans, bowls. They all felt the scrub of my brush. It was a lot of fun just jumping in and getting my hands dirty. That almost never happened back on Manhome. I might have been a bit too vigorous in my attempts at cleaning. The water splashed around, falling outside the sink and dotting the counter-top with suds. I slowed down a bit, moving more smoothly. I needed to be more gentle to avoid causing everything to fly everywhere. It was then that I was struck by a flash of inspiration. The thoughts of avoiding the large splashes combined with the mixing bowl I was in the middle of cleaning to become a potentially brilliant idea. I would need to ask if I could borrow some bowls the next time I went out to practice.

After a while, the younger chef joined me at the sink. He must have finished bringing in the food from the main dining area. It made things much faster when I could concentrate on washing, and leave the disposal of the uneaten food to him. If the older chef could come and help with the drying then I was confident that we could have all the cleaning done in no time. We could have made a veritable mini-factory line. But he didn't come.

"I'll admit I'm a bit surprised you are here," the young chef remarked as we worked.

"Why's that?"

"Most Undines... most people wouldn't waste a day in a place like this. It's hard work. You're not even being paid to do it, like I am." He spoke in a bit of a flat voice. He tried to make it sound casual, but I could still hear the bite of frustration there.

I fell silent for a bit and mulled over his words. Why was I here?

"It's true I would rather be out on a gondola, but working in here seems good too. It makes the life of everybody here a bit better. Tourists come to Neo Venezia to relax and enjoy themselves. Undines are the ones who help them with that. But who makes things better for an Undine? It's people like the chefs here. It's kind of like being an Undine's Undine. What could be better than to make everybody happy with all that delicious food?"

I placed my latest tray off to the side and reached over for the next one to clean. It wasn't there. The younger chef still held it in his hands ready to empty into the bin, but he made no move to hand it over. He was instead staring at me strangely. The older chef was looking at me as well.

"Hahii?" Was it something I said?

The younger chef shook himself, then the platter, before handing it over to me to clean. "Do you really mean all of that?"

"Hahii," I nodded emphatically. I then started to clean the last platter. "Everybody does something to make Neo Venezia better in their own way. It's part of what I love about this city. And now I can say that I've helped out in the kitchen, too. How many other Undines can say that?"

"With that kind of attitude, I'll need to try my best to make good food too," the younger chef said.

"Hey, Undine-chan, do you know how to cook?" the older chef asked.

"I cooked a bit on Manhome," I said. I hadn't cooked that much back then, and not at all since coming to Aqua. I probably had more experience than most people on Manhome, who didn't cook at all. It was so convenient to get something somebody else had prepared in advance, ready to go, no cooking necessary.

"When you're finished with that, why don't you cook some dinner for the three of us?" the older chef said. "Show us what somebody from Manhome can do."

"So early?" I asked. I had lost track of time, but it couldn't have been later than early afternoon.

"It's normal for the kitchen staff to eat early. That way we aren't hungry during dinner service," the younger chef said.

"I get to be a chef today too. Yay!" I cheered. I finished washing and drying the last plate with renewed vigor. The enthusiasm lasted for a couple of seconds before I asked, "Umm... where's all the food?"

The old chef gave a hearty belly laugh. "You'd better help her out. Not too much, we don't want to ruin tradition."

"Tradition?" I asked.

"It's traditional for the new chefs to cook for the others for practice until they get good enough to serve the customers," the younger chef said.

I was filled with a new sense of trepidation. I wanted to make sure everything went well now. So what could I cook? It would need to be something simple. I didn't want to mess it up. And something which I could cook quickly, too. I couldn't spend hours when dinner was coming up soon. Maybe a simple soup. Some onion and mushroom soup would be fast and easy. And some sauteed vegetables. Some grilled chicken with lemon, too. One last dish, maybe. Some risotto. That should be good.

The younger chef showed me the pantry, refrigerator, spice rack, and everything else I needed to cook. It was then up to me. Once everything was in place to prepare, the younger chef stepped back and left me to it. I reflexively looked for an apron for a second before I remembered I had already put one on. Step one done.

I set out, cutting, simmering, frying, mashing, and generally preparing the food. I worked at my own pace, which was very deliberate. I peeled, and cut, and washed, and boiled, and grilled, and pretty much did everything else related to food preparation. Cooking was always hard in an unusual kitchen, and also hard with an audience. I had both to frazzle me. Both the younger chef and the older chef watched my every move. They only watched, though. All of the preparation was on me. Most of the preparation was on me. They occasionally chimed in a bit to help me locate this or that, and the younger chef did toss a pan on the stove once just to tease me.

This preparation by hand was always nicer. It was hard work, of course, but it was worth it. It gave the meal a personal touch. It made each meal unique, and each experience special.

My amateur status showed itself when I had finished the risotto before the chicken, and the chicken before the soup. I did some hasty sauteing at the end in order to complete the last part of the meal. I hoped nothing had gotten too cold while we waited.

I placed everything into separate bowls and plates. Only then did the two chefs help me bring everything over to a small table on the side of the kitchen. I didn't remember it being there before. I wondered if I had missed it, or if one of the two chefs had brought it out when I wasn't looking.

It felt so different than normal. The communal dining experience in the cafeteria was nice, especially the times when I was able to sit with somebody else. The catered experience of restaurant was nice too, especially as I got more familiar and friendly with the waiters and waitresses. This very personal environment was also nice. We felt like a family eating a home-cooked meal.

"It's nice for a change, isn't it," the younger chef said. Coincidence or not, it was very much in agreement with my internal musing.

The older one responded with a non-committal grunt.

"What change?" I asked.

"Usually we have a lot more chefs eating, and the person cooks bigger portions we just grab for ourselves. Kind of like how we serve in the main room. This individual portion thing is nice."

"You need to add more salt to your soup," the older chef interrupted.

"Sorry," I said.

"Your risotto is starting to cool down. You should have prepared it later. Boiled it longer too."

"Sorry," I said again. I knew it wasn't perfect, but I thought everything tasted pretty good, especially considering that I hadn't touched a knife or a stove in months. Everything turned to ash in my mouth as the older chef named off each flaw in my food.

"Don't take it so personally. It's his way of telling us to do better. Everything tastes really good," the younger chef said after the fifth critique.

"You really think so?" I asked.

"I do," the younger chef said.

"Thanks," I said. I felt partially mollified. At least one of the two appreciated my hard work.

I had intentionally given myself a smaller portion than the other two. I had just had lunch so I wasn't that hungry. Instead I savored the company and ambiance as I picked at my food. I felt fortunate for the opportunity of this new experience and of learning about these two people who had indirectly contributed so much to my life.

The two chefs didn't have nearly as much reservation in eating as I did. They didn't eat with gusto as such, but they did continue at a normal-ish pace. The older chef's criticism tapered off in short order and the conversation turned more general. Overall it had the net effect of us all finishing at roughly the same time.

The older chef grunted, then forced out, "It's okay, I guess. The knife-work is good for somebody from Manhome."

That feedback wasn't exactly what I had been hoping for, but it was better than nothing. The commentary was kind of a complement, but backhanded to say the least. I said a quiet, "Thanks."

"Well, back to work," the older chef said. Both of them rose. I did as well, for a different purpose. They had left their dishes at the table and headed over to the kitchen proper. I started busing the tables to carry the empty bowls and soiled utensils to the sink for cleaning.

"Leave them. We got a lot of stuff to prepare and not enough time," the gruff voice of the older chef barked at me.

"Hahii?"

"The menu for the night is up there," he said, pointing up at a large board with various dishes listed. "Snap to it."

"Hahii."

"See, I told you your food was pretty good. He wouldn't let you touch a knife if it wasn't," the younger chef confided in me.

I definitely helped with the service that night. I was also definitely not a full-time chef. The two others moved with an ease and a rapidity which I couldn't hope to compete with. Not that it was a competition. I ended up spending most of my time helping the younger chef. The menu was all well and good but I wasn't sure what to do with it. The younger chef was much more amenable to letting me help him out. I spent the next few hours helping him wash, chop, blanch, and otherwise craft the raw ingredients into what could properly be described as food.

Cooking the larger buffet sized portions was different. I had a mental image that it would be exactly the same as cooking a small meal, only with bigger pots and more salt. That was somewhat true, but not really. There was some similarity in that all the portions were larger and placed in heavier containers, but doing the same cooking steps still caused dishes to come out differently.

The first time I had grabbed a pan handle to shift a simmering dish the older chef yelled at me to drop it. That caused me to do so, whereupon it fell back to the stove with a clang. I restricted myself to cold preparation after that and only touched the hot foods when somebody told me to stir something or watch something. After a bit of time I realized that all of the cooking times were a bit different than what I had expected. There were also a few extra steps I had never done before, like drenching the pasta in cold water after it was cooked.

All of this cooking took hours according to the clock. It felt a lot shorter to me. In fact I didn't even realize we were done until I looked for the next tomato to slice and the board was actually clear. It was hard work. My apron was covered with little splatters and splashes when I finished. Sweat was beading on my forehead. The kitchen was hot, and I had only spent a bit of time near the ovens and stoves. I wondered how it must have felt for the chefs. I wondered how it must have felt for the chefs in the middle of a hot summer day.

The three of us grabbed various dishes and brought them out into the main area of the cafeteria. It was a bit more tricky than bringing the eaten food back after lunch. I left the hot dishes to the experts and restrained myself to things which wouldn't burn me if I held them incorrectly. For placement, I followed whatever directions the two professional chefs told me. Presentation was important. For Undines that was definitely true, and it was equally true for chefs. I had assumed that without customers it wouldn't matter as much for them, but from another point of view the Undines and other staff were all their customers. In that way, chefs had it as hard as Undines did.

Everything looked plain in the kitchen. It looked plain in the trays. It looked plain even after I had set the serving trays out on the tables. I turned around, turned back, and it was a magical transformation. When I saw the entire setup taken in as one large whole suddenly everything looked amazing. The display almost glistened in the light when viewed with fresh eyes which hadn't been staring at the intermediary preparation steps for hours. It felt all the more satisfying for me as I had contributed to making it. I hoped all the various people enjoyed what I had helped create.

"Good job, Undine-chan," the older chef said.

"Now for the fun part," the younger chef said.

"What's that?"

"We get to serve," the younger chef said.

"We?" I asked.

"Did you change your mind?" the older chef asked.

"Come over here," the younger chef said.

I went over to stand next to him by the roast. It looked different to be staring over it and looking at the room at large, rather than facing the chef and wall behind him on the other side as a customer. He handed me a large ladle. Most of the food was self-service, but a couple of the stews had the chefs assisting with the serving.

"Just give them a half-ladle full on top of their potatoes. Be careful you don't give too much or it'll spill over. I'll be right here if you need anything," he said. He stood off to the side near a roast, close enough to be able to see and hear everything, but far enough away that it was clear that I was the one in charge of that area.

The cafeteria started mostly empty. It didn't stay that way long. Undines started streaming into the room. Most took a subset of the food on offer. It made sense. There wasn't enough space on a plate, or in the stomach, to try everything.

Nobody spoke to me beyond asking for a bit more or a bit less. Nobody seemed to see me at all. It was different than being an Undine. I was definitely kept busy. I hurried as much as I could, but a small queue did still start to form in front of me. It was only a couple of people so I wasn't worried. I got so caught up in serving that I barely saw anybody in front of me. I wondered if that was the same for the more experienced chefs.

"Akari-san," I heard a semi-familiar voice say. I hadn't heard it say that in quite a while. It was filled with contempt. "What happened to you? Get demoted or something?" It was Adriana. It was good that she was no longer giving me the silent treatment, but not really. It hurt in a different way. I tried to ignore it as best I could, but I knew my face showed at least some of the pain I felt.

"No. I couldn't go out on the water today so I wanted to do something different. I got to know two of the chef-sans and help them make dinner. Have you seen the kitchen. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be," I said. I was starting to get excited again thinking back on my day.

"Good. You should just stay there and make room for real Undines to make Prima," Adriana said.

I shook my head. "I can't do that. I love being on the water too much. I'll get to go back tomorrow, but today I get to do something different."

"Tomorrow? Idiot. Tomorrow's Sunday," Adriana said.

I had forgotten. Sunday was a day off for the trainees, both Singles and Pairs. I shrugged. "That doesn't matter. I want to make up for today. There's this little shrine I passed by yesterday. I want to see what it's for." I thought I had seen some kind of plaque on it, but I hadn't gotten close enough to tell. I was planning on returning there to read what had been written on it.

"Idiot," Adriana said. She moved off without ordering anything. The next Undine came up.

She was a Pair. Moreover, I recognized her. She was the same girl I had seen throughout Neo Venezia from time to time, despite her status as a Pair. Alice, I thought her name was. Behind her was Athena, that Prima I had heard with the unbelievable voice. Her dark skin stood out against the white of her uniform, and her short hair poked out from underneath her hat. She stood there so aloof, like she was above the petty troubles and concerns everybody else had.

I served Alice, carefully pouring the sauce so that it wouldn't splatter everywhere. She stepped back. And the Prima didn't move.

"Athena-sempai. Get it together. It's your turn," Alice said.

"Huuu?" the Prima said. She looked down and moved forward for me to serve her. Now that I looked it it, she didn't look so much aloof as she looked out-of-mind. I gave her her half-ladle and Alice led her away. The next person wasn't nearly as difficult.

And service continued. At some point somebody had refilled the pot I was serving out of. I didn't pay it too much mind. I instead concentrated on the people in front of me, trying to do the best job I could for them. I didn't do this all the time, which made me more dedicated to doing it well. It could have been my only opportunity to serve.

"You did a good job today," somebody said to me during a lull. I turned around, and saw the older chef talking to me. The younger one was on the other side of the room, cooking some noodles for some made-to-order stir-fry.

"Thank you. I didn't think we were finished for today," I said.

"Not that. You little speech in the kitchen before," he said.

"Hahii?" I asked. Which speech?

"The one about how chefs help support everybody. It was really good," he said. "Alex-kun has had a rough time recently. His younger brother moved to Manhome and became some kind of high-paid banker or financier or something. It's been making him really envious, and Alex-kun's been pretty upset. The truth is that most people here look down on chefs."

I shook my head. "The chefs do a very important job here. Like everybody. I love the food you make."

"That's exactly what I mean. I know that, but I think Alex-kun needed to hear it from somebody else," he said. "Now why don't you go take a break. I'll cover here for a bit."

"Hahii."

"If you ever want to change jobs, let me know. I'll figure out a way to bring you in too," he added.

"Th.. thank you." I would never give up being an Undine, but the sentiment was nice.

It wasn't until I had stepped away from the table that I suddenly realized how tired I was. Being on my feet the whole day and hustling here and there had been a lot of hard work. But having the chance to experience what happened in one of these functions I never got to see was very fun as well. In a strange way I felt fortunate for not having been able to take a gondola out into Neo Venezia.

* * *

Last Updated: January 7, 2016


	10. 10: That Special Relationship…

Chapter 10: That Special Relationship...

The harbor was remarkably empty. I could only see a couple of Primas in the area. The number of people present could be counted on one hand. Normally it was a lot more busy than this.

It was then that I remembered to my chagrin that it was a Sunday. All of the Pairs and the Singles who did not have a shift on the traghetto had the day off. It didn't really matter to me. I spent most of my days practicing anyway. It made no sense to be on Aqua and not be on the water. It was why I had come here in the first place, and it was the thing I most enjoyed doing.

As always, the old man who watched the boats was there. Most of the Primas had long since left Orange Planet on their respective tours, but the few who didn't have morning appointments or walk-in customers were there as well. Those Primas could have a late start of the day. It was only fitting that I saw them, given my own relatively late start of the day.

The sparse population which meant that I had little chance of finally finding a practice partner. I had been practicing on my own ever since being promoted to a Single months ago. Adriana still refused to acknowledge my presence except in the most superficial ways, and April and Ashley were likewise reluctant to practice with me even if I were to stay in the confines of the practice harbor. All of the Singles I saw always seemed to have their own cliques they always socialized with.

"Good morning again," the old man greeted me as I approached.

"Good morning," I chimed back.

"Do you practice every day? I feel like I see you every morning I'm here," he asked.

"I try to," I said. My last day off had been a month or two ago when I had been forced to stay off the water. I had ended up spending the day in the kitchen, and it had turned out to be quite fun despite not going into Neo Venezia.

"I don't see a travel plan for you. Is this thing broken again?"

"Eh he he he... Actually I didn't fill one out."

The man frowned at me. He said, "Okay. We're still in trial mode so I'll overlook it this time, but you need to start doing them soon."

"Okay."

"Well, you know where the boats are. See you this evening," he said.

"Thanks," I answered before walking in the direction of the gondolas. No small talk today it would seem. I didn't have anything in particular to talk about, and it sounded like he didn't either. Sometimes we would chat, and sometimes it was all business. Today was an all business one it seemed.

The lack of other Undines meant there was little competition and no confusion in retrieving what I had come to consider as my boat. There was only one other girl here. Moreover she was a Pair. While she was facing away from me I couldn't help but think the back of her head looked familiar.

"Good morning," I said. She turned to me. Her long hair swayed for a moment and then her face became clear. It confirmed that it was Alice.

"What're you doing here?" she asked me.

"It's a beautiful day to be on the water," I answered with a bright smile. The air was fresh and new, and it filled me full of energy. I wanted to go out into the snowy day. It had a nice balance, where I would warm myself up by my rowing while the weather would simultaneously keep me cool.

"I see," Alice said.

I moved over to my gondola. It wasn't my gondola officially, but I felt like it was mine nevertheless. I had grown very attached to the particular pattern of wood and to the various creases and patches it had. It was my favorite gondola and I used it every chance I could. I liked its personality.

"What are you doing here?" I asked back.

"Is there a problem?" Alice asked back.

"No, no. I just meant I never see anybody else here besides Primas on Sunday." I said. More than the other trainee Undines, I was surprised to see Alice here. I couldn't remember ever having seen her in the dock area. I would occasionally see her on the water in Neo Venezia, but never at the docks.

"I'm here to practice," Alice said. "I have the day off of school so I can spend the whole day rowing."

"That is nice," I said, momentarily lost in the daydream of floating on Neo Venezia. A daydream which would become reality soon. "Hey, hey, do you want to practice together?"

Alice looked at me with suspicious eyes. "Why?"

"It's much easier with two of us to tell how we're doing. And it's hard to practice talking to customers by yourself. We both know different things and we can teach each other stuff about Neo Venezia," I said.

I remembered my early days as a Pair, back when I had practiced with Adriana and April and Ashley. It had been so much easier when somebody told me how I was doing than trying to tell how my rowing was on my own. It was much more fun as well.

The occasional opportunity to go on the water with Ariel was nice, but those were few and far between. I ended up spending most of my time practicing on my own. As good as it was to row on my own, it would be so much better would be some company.

"I already filled out a practice plan. I'm going to be going over to Scuola Grande di San Rocco," Alice said.

"The registration is still in trial mode. I'm sure it will be fine," I said. "Come on. It will be more fun together than alone."

"I guess," Alice said. She sounded hesitant.

"Wait over there. I'll come around and we can share," I said. "I already have this gondola ready to go. It's my favorite one." Alice's lack of energy didn't deter me in the least. It just meant I needed to have more enthusiasm to make up for it.

I maneuvered the gondola out of the maze of docked boats over to where Alice was waiting. I approached the shore and clumsily brought the gondola mostly in alignment with the land. Once I was certain it wouldn't go drifting away I stepped over the small gap between the boat and the land, anchoring the gondola with my feet.

"What's that bowl there for?" Alice asked me. The metal mixing bowl was placed in the center of the gondola, right where I had left it.

"I use it to help me improve my rowing, It helps me tell how much I'm wobbling. See?" I intentionally bobbled the gondola a bit, and the bowl bobbled back and forth in response. The bowl wasn't very social, but it was useful. It was a bit disappointing how much wobbling it showed I did through the canals of Neo Venezia, but it was better to know than to not know.

Alice still looked wary but stepped into the gondola regardless. She had a light step. It barely affected the boat at all. She took a seat, facing the front of the boat. I made sure she was settled, like I would have for a customer, and then stepped back into the gondola proper. I was getting ready to push off when a voice called out, "Akari-chan!"

"Hahii?"

Near the entrance of the harbor was Ariel. It was surprising to see her. It wasn't one of the days I was scheduled to practice with her. I had assumed she would be out on the water with a customer. Or possibly she had a free morning and was relaxing for a few hours doing whatever she wanted in preparation for some later appointment.

"I knew I could find you here," Ariel called out. "Alice-chan. What are you doing here?"

"Ariel-san, you know Alice-chan?" I asked.

"Of course. Everybody knows her. She's the genius Pair, the up-and-coming star of the gondola association," Ariel said.

I had had no idea. I enthused, "Alice-chan, you're famous."

"It's hugely annoying," Alice said.

"We were going to go out and practice together," I answered Ariel's original question. "What are you doing here?"

"I just found out that Orange Planet has this mentorship program we're supposed to be doing. I got a budget to take you out to lunch once a month. We have to go today or this month's allowance will be wasted," Ariel said.

"Okay. I'll just go back to practicing on my own," Alice said.

There was no way I would let that happen. I knew how bad it felt to be excluded. I said, "No, Alice-chan can come too, right? We can make it a group practice session, right?"

"Uhh... okay..." Ariel said back. She looked unconvinced. Alice also looked unconvinced.

It just meant I needed to have more enthusiasm to make up for it.

"You know, I can row us there, if you want," Ariel said.

"Thanks, but I think I would rather row. I still need lots of practice if I'm going to get better," I said.

"Then let's go," Ariel said. She helped herself into the gondola. She didn't even bother having brace it; she just climbed aboard. Naturally that pushed the gondola away from the land a bit. Ariel kept her footing despite the rocking of the boat and took a seat without any incident. It was the mark of the skill and experience of a Prima.

"Hahii," I said.

The day was getting better by leaps and bounds. I had started the day expecting to practice on my own. The first improvement was when I had gotten a practice partner by convincing Alice to join me. This was further improved when Ariel also joined to make it a more directed and experienced teaching session rather than just being an ordinary practice session. I wondered what good thing would happen next.

I pushed away from the shore and guided the boat into the tunnel which would lead us into Neo Venezia proper. It felt very different having two people on board than when I rowed all by my lonesome, and very different than when I rowed with Ariel alone. The weight distribution of the boat was completely changed. Keeping the gondola balanced and smooth was easier because there was more mass to keep everything steady, but it was harder because Alice's and Ariel's moving around added unpredictability to everything. It was kind of liking rowing the traghetto except that there were fewer people, and they were sitting, and I didn't have a partner to help maneuver the boat.

We emerged from the tunnel of Orange Planet into the wider city of Neo Venezia. The city was covered by a thick blanket of snow. It was like a layer of makeup which covered all the out-of-the-way crevices and blemishes of the city and left them a smooth white. I could see the footprints left behind by those who had come before us. It was a snapshot of the life of the city, from the heavily trampled paths of the high traffic roads to the lonely footprints of adventurous children forging their own way through the grass.

"Which way should I go?"

"Go straight here," Ariel directed me.

It was just like the monthly practice sessions I had with Ariel, despite the unplanned arrival of Ariel and the unusual inclusion of Alice. I described the various things which I passed along Ariel's directed path. The demands of needing to spontaneously notice and remember interesting sites was good practice for me, as was speaking in front of an audience. It was somehow different than when I said the same things to an empty gondola on my own. Facts which normally sprang to mind were sluggish in making themselves known to me, and they fumbled around in my mouth when I tried to express them. I also had to be extra careful to avoid upsetting Ariel and Alice in the boat and to avoid collisions within the narrow passages Ariel directed me through.

The unpredictable direction Ariel led me through made it hard to put together an overall theme for my impromptu tour of Neo Venezia. I settled for saying the interesting history of each of the sites as they appeared. Venice, and subsequently Neo Venezia, was tightly interconnected in such a way that a thread of commonality could always be found between all of the different sites surrounding the city.

"Akari-senpai knows a huge amount about each place," Alice said in a lull of my description giving.

"She needs to. She rows so slowly she needs to fill the time somehow," Ariel answered.

"Hahii..."

"Alice-chan, you switch in. You'd better take over if we want to get there before dinnertime."

I held the boat steady as Alice stood and switched places with me. Once Alice had the oar I then took the newly vacated seat for myself. It had been a while since I had had the pleasure of sitting in a gondola rather than being the Undine. It was also fun. I wondered what Alice's rowing would be like.

Alice pushed forward without so much as a word of warning. And I discovered what her rowing was like. In a word, it was amazing. We glided forward at a much faster pace. I could only feel the slightest hesitation of the gondola when Alice's oar entered the water and the barest tip of the boat when she pushed forward. Alice was a Pair, but her rowing was far better than mine. She was better than any other Single I had seen.

The second half of the ride to the restaurant went by far faster than the first half. Alice was economical and decisive in her motions. She barely hesitated before squeezing into spaces which I thought were too tight for a gondola to get through. Moreover she maneuvered through them without a hitch. The Pair had amazing judgment and skill.

Alice's second half of the ride to the restaurant was much more quiet than my first half had been. Ariel gave her directions much more rapidly than when I had been rowing as a result of how much faster we were coming upon each intersection, but that were the only words which were spoken. Even when we passed by the most famous of monuments, like the Bridge of Sighs, Alice stayed silent. She had a look of intense concentration on her face. I instead took the opportunity to mentally recite what I knew as we went by them. More practice. I didn't get to see them from a seated position very frequently. I absorbed as much of the customer perspective as I could while I had the chance.

"I love those giant palinas," I couldn't help but remark as we passed by one of them. The one which I was referring to was a huge one, where something like a dozen of logs were all tied together to make a giant pole in the ground. "It's like all these regular palinas all came together to make one big family."

"Those aren't palinas," Ariel said. "They aren't for tying down gondolas."

"Then what are they for? Are they like dama?" I asked. I knew that dama were three logs tied together to mark the numerous canal entrances and waterway crossings.

"That's hugely wrong," Alice said. It was the first thing she had said outside of the occasional "gondola passing through" she quietly muttered sometimes.

"That's called a bricola. See the numbers on it?" Ariel asked. I looked and saw there was the number 14 slapped haphazardly on a few of the logs. "You can use them to check where you are in the city. I can show you a map when we get back to Orange Planet."

"Big ships need to use them to navigate around the city," Alice added.

"Hohee... So they're like guides for the city," I said.

"I guess," Ariel said.

"Good work, guide-san!" I called out to the departing number 14 bricola as it disappeared from view.

We continued onward. Alice rowing was not only smooth but fast. We practically flew along the water, both in speed and in gentleness.

"Akari-chan! You're the passenger today?" a woman called out to me as we passed by.

"Hahii! Ariel-san is taking me and Alice-chan out to lunch!" I called back. We didn't really have time to talk. I would need to wait until the next time I saw her to ask how her husband was feeling and if he had recovered from his cold.

We arrived at the restaurant in short order. Alice completed her half of the journey by gliding the gondola into the dock without hesitation or need for adjustment. I was amazed she was still a Pair.

"This is place is my favorite. Order anything you like. The company is paying for it," Ariel beamed. She then led us into the cafe.

"Welcome to the... oh, Undine-chan," the host greeted when he recognized me. "Thanks for your help. You were right. My girlfriend really liked that opera."

I was delighted to hear that. I had quite enjoyed the play "Iron Shores" myself and was happy that my conversation the last time I had seen him a few weeks earlier had led to more people enjoying it. I said, "It was really good, wasn't it? If she liked that you should both see 'Carma de Sol' too. It's like 'Iron Shores,' but with a love triangle too."

"That sounds exciting," the host said. He led us to a table. "For three, right?"

Once we were seated and the host had walked off, Ariel said to me, "You didn't say you've been here before."

"Just a couple of times," I said. It was nothing really too special. I had just happened to have eaten lunch there in the past.

"Welcome back, Undine-chan," the waitress enthusiastically greeted us. She addressed me and said, "There's this new dish the chef's been trying out. It's roasted mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce over penne pasta. He's looking for feedback. Do you want to try it?"

"Hohee... That sounds exciting. I'll try it," I said.

"How about you two? What would you like?" the waitress asked Ariel and Alice.

Ariel ordered in a subdued voice, and Alice followed after that.

"You know them?" Ariel asked me in a quite voice.

"Not really. I've only been here a couple of times before," I said. I hadn't been here any more or less than anywhere else. If I were being honest, I would admit to not actually knowing the names of anybody in the restaurant.

Throughout the meal we chatted about nothing in particular. The most notable aspect was that Ariel and I did most of the actual talking. Alice was relatively quiet throughout the meal. I tried to draw her in to the conversation as we ate, but had only limited success. She would answer some questions when I asked her directly but she would rarely offer any observations of her own. I still considered it a success.

The chef came out towards the end of the meal to meet us and get some feedback about his new dish. I was happy to have the opportunity to tell him how much I had enjoyed it. He exchanged some other general pleasantries with our group as well.

Alice got to row us back to Orange Planet. Ariel said she had an appointment in the afternoon and couldn't afford to be late. Alice wasn't the only who got practice. On the way Ariel had me practice too by giving short lectures of the different sites we passed. Alice's pace ensured I had to be much more terse in my brief snippets than I usually was.

Ariel gave Alice a bit of rowing advice as we went. She gave me quite a bit more advice on my speaking and presentation. She additionally gave a few extra facts or pointers about the various stops we passed by. I had passed by the Fenice Theater with Ariel several times before, but she still managed to find new details which I didn't know. I wondered how many times I would need to pass by places like that and the Dogana de Mar before I had learned everything that Ariel already knew about the city. I found myself wanting to hear more and more of what Ariel said, but there was so little time. It was the same way I felt whenever Ariel and I went out on a regularly scheduled training session.

We returned to Orange Planet in short order. Alice docked the gondola with just as much decisiveness as she had had at the cafe. It was much faster than I would have done. I would have needed to go forward and backward and forward and backward to get into the correct spot without bouncing against anything. Alice simply drifted to a stop and we were there.

"I'll see you in a few days for our next practice session," Ariel said to me before she hurried away. She was off to her next appointment. It seemed like every time I saw a Prima she was hurrying somewhere. It was a symptom of having too much to do and too little time.

It was still early in the day. Even though we were back at Orange Planet I didn't want to go back inside yet. It felt like such a waste. I said, "Do you want to keep going?"

"Sure," Alice said.

"Hey, let's switch. I want to row a bit," I offered.

"Okay."

We both caused the the gondola to rock around as we swapped places. I took my place at the back of the boat with my oar poised and ready, and Alice took her place at one of the seats in the middle.

"I'm going," I announced. I pushed off for the second time of the day. Embarking was much easier than docking a gondola. I only needed to make sure I wasn't steering into a palinas or any other structure littering the side of the water. Positioning didn't matter beyond that. I could afford to be careless as I rowed to the exit tunnel and into Neo Venezia proper again.

"Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go?" I asked.

"No. Anywhere is fine."

I selected a route which was not too easy but not too difficult. The canals were a bit smaller than usual, but they were also a lot quieter than usual too. These locations were a bit of less known to me, too, which let me exercise my memory of what we were passing. I wanted something which could challenge my skills but where I wouldn't get into trouble.

Alice seemed very quiet as I rowed. I had to prompt her several times by asking how I was doing or if she had any advice I could use to improve myself. I had no illusions that Alice was far better at rowing than I was. It took a while but towards the end Alice did give me a couple of good pointers of things I could do better.

Once we reached the other side of Neo Venezia I switched places with Alice. She was the one who selected the route she would row on the way back. She selected some canals I didn't know about. There were still countless canals in the city I didn't know, and they were ever changing with the tides. During high tide certain canals were blocked by bridges, and during low tide other paths didn't have enough water in them to support a boat. It was a challenge, and I enjoyed discovering a new route from Alice.

It would be a while before I would try to attempt the route she selected. There were numerous cross currents and narrow passages we crossed through. I saw them more than felt them. Alice would glide through places which I would have detoured around. I held my breath and had to close my eyes for the first several areas before I had gained the confidence that Alice knew what she was doing. Intellectually I knew she must have been up to the challenge of the route she took, but it took me a while for me to really feel like she was.

The trip felt a bit strange to me. I didn't even realize why until a good bit into it. The route was very good for rowing practice, but we didn't see very much of the city at all. It was the functional parts of Neo Venezia. It was almost exclusively limited to the parts of the city which the locals and businesses used. We passed by countless boats, and there were very few visual spectacles which a tourist would expect. Alice stayed more or less silent as we went as well. She barely even called out her warnings when we came to the intersections.

"This is a pretty complicated path. Have you taken it before?" I asked Alice.

"A bit," Alice said.

That explained how Alice could be so sure about where she was going. Even taking that into account her control was very impressive.

"What's your favorite part?" I asked.

Alice didn't answer. I was afraid I had offended her somehow. I fell silent after that.

"The part with church bell," Alice abruptly said. She pointed to a tall church just off to the side.

"What do you like about it?" I asked.

"It's hugely colorful," Alice answered.

"It is," I agreed. It was covered in reds, and oranges, and yellows, and some blues, and some greens, and just a bit of purple. It proudly stood out against the blue sky and beige buildings all around. "It's like it's really excited and it's trying to get all of the attention it can in this quiet place."

"This was originally one of the main canals of Neo Venezia when it was first being built," Alice said. "They used to use it to move wood around before the Canal Grande was finished."

"Hohee... I didn't know that," I said.

Alice continued to explain the history of this particular canal and how it had been built. It was the type of information that didn't appear in tourist books, not in the least because tourists typically didn't care about the mundane details of how the city worked. It was the type of information only locals who really cared about the subject knew.

As she spoke Alice continued to pilot the gondola back to Orange Planet. She didn't slow down in the least despite the history she was providing. Her skill was still apparent even when she was distracted by my questions on the little details of her explanation.

The path Alice had selected emerged into one of the main thoroughfares near Orange Planet. We emerged into the bright winter light and the passage we had just left faded into the background as one of the countless nameless canals I passed every day while idly wondering where they led. There were too many of them to explore, and each was a mystery. Now due to Alice's unorthodox tour I had one fewer mystery. It was doubtful I would ever take a tourist on the functional and complicated path that Alice had selected, but I still enjoyed learning all about another face of Neo Venezia.

I had just known that practicing with Alice would be a good idea.

Alice maneuvered the gondola through the entrance tunnel of Orange Planet and docked it for the second time of the day. I offered all the help I could. She didn't really need it, but it would have been rude to just run off. If I were the one rowing I knew I would have appreciated any help Alice would have given to me.

Having two sets of hands did make the work go faster. The boat was moored in short order and we departed the harbor.

The transition from the stony harbor into the well-warmed Orange Planet proper was stark and sudden. I felt it most in my left hand, which didn't have the protection of a glove to shelter it from the air. The warmth assaulted it which resulted in my fingers swelling into a puffy, toasty sensation. The almost but not quite painful feeling of bloat brought with it a feeling of relieving expansion after hours in the cold air.

Both Alice and I walked in the same direction. That was hardly a surprise. We were both heading back to our rooms and there was only one dormitory in the building. It was a bit more of a coincidence after we got to the second floor when we both turned down the same passage. The dormitory was fairly large and disperse. I kept expecting Alice to peel off into a side passage, but it never happened. Alice finally did turn, right at the same interaction where I did.

"Are you following me?" Alice asked.

"No. I'm just going back to my room."

Alice looked suspicious but didn't say anything back.

In short order, Alice pushed the door open to one of the rooms.

"That's your room?" I asked.

"It is," Alice said, looking even more suspicious. She stood there with the door half open.

"That's incredible. We're neighbors," I said. I hadn't known that. Somehow I had never seen Alice either entering or leaving her room.

It felt it was destiny that we had met each other. I was sure we were going to practice together a lot more in the future.

"Huaa... Welcome back," a sleepy voice announced. I could only half see her but I recognized the figure. It was the same Undine who had been so hard to serve in the cafeteria when I had helped out that day. It was the same Undine with that positively angelic voice in Canal Grande which could almost stop time. After hearing that voice it was impossible to forget her.

"Athena-sempai. What are you doing here?" Alice asked.

"I had a break," Athena said. Her voice had an absentminded quality which bore only the most passing similarity with her unbelievable singing.

"Athena-sempai? Wait. Alice-chan. Your Prima is Siren? You're so lucky," I said.

"Ara, ara," another voice said. It was a voice full of comfort and warmth. It was the voice of the loving wife of a slightly strange teacher. It was the voice of the motherly sister whose caring benevolence more than made up for any shortcomings in ability. I thought it sounded familiar somehow.

Alice more fully opened the door to reveal somebody else in the room besides her and Athena. The woman was wearing an Undine uniform with blue accents which somehow felt familiar. She had long blonde hair pleated in a single large braid down the back of her neck. It wasn't just her voice or her uniform. The Prima struck me as vaguely familiar somehow.

"Aren't you that Undine I saw with that painter a few months ago?" I asked. She had been the one to mention the prominence of chrysanthemums in the city. There was something else, though. Something more recent which tickled my memory. "Ahh... You're that Undine from the cover of Undine Magazine!" Orange Planet always had several copies of the magazine displayed around the building, especially wherever visitors would congregate. I always read through it when a new issue came out. This latest issue had a thorough article on Aria company and its incredible Undine, Alicia, also known as Snow White.

"Ara, ara."

"Welcome back. Do you have a new friend?" Athena asked. I found myself invited into the room.

"We were just practicing together," Alice said. "Never mind that. How do you know Snow White?"

"Alicia-chan? Hmm..." Athena said. She bobbed her head to the side and then up as if in deep thought.

"Athena-chan and I were friends from back when we were Singles," Alicia said. "We had a break at the same time so I thought I'd come and visit."

"Hohee... So Siren and Snow White are friends," I said. I was duly impressed. That made for two of the Three Water Fairies. Two of the three best and most recognized Undines in all of Neo Venezia actually were friends. It was an incredible coincidence.

"Is this your junior?" Alicia asked.

"That's right. This is Alice-chan," Athena said.

"Nice to meet you," Alice said. She bowed in greeting.

"Nice to meet you too, Alice-chan," Alicia said. "So this is the Pair everybody is talking about. What a wonderful junior. I'm sure you'll both do very well for each other."

"Th.. thank you," Alice said.

"When are you going to take somebody under you?" Athena asked. "Aria-company can't survive just by yourself."

"I don't know," Alicia said.

"You don't have a junior?" I asked. It was very strange. All of the Primas in Orange Planet had multiple Singles and Pairs under them. I thought it was a requirement of some sort. I had assumed that it was that way for every Prima.

"I know anybody would be hugely excited to be able to learn from you," Alice said.

"Ara, ara. Thank you," Alicia said.

"Nobody answered your advertisement?" Athena asked.

"I couldn't find the right person. I'm wondering if maybe I should try expand my horizons. Maybe I should try listing something at Manhome or something," Alicia said. The idea wasn't without merit. It was rare to find people interested in living in such an old-fashioned way like me, but Manhome had lots of people. The planet was far more populated than Aqua was. It was practically guaranteed that there had to be more people like me who would jump at the chance to being an Undine. All of that fresh air and sunlight. I hadn't even seen a blue sky until I had come to Aqua. It was even better than I had imagined.

"Here," Athena said. She had a tray with some tea cups in them. The tray shook in her hands and half of the tea had spilled out of the cups.

"Thanks," I said. I rescued a cup and ignored the slimy feeling of wet tea on its side. Alice took the other cup before Athena's unsteady hand could spill any more.

The tea was warm and soothing. It was the perfect thing after spending the day out in the late winter air of Neo Venezia. It had stopped being so cold, but the first blush of spring was still weeks away. Winter seemed to last forever. It was twice as long as on Manhome. It meant there was twice as long to enjoy the blankets of snow, the crunching of feet on half-hidden paths, the sharp air which made everything clearer and more real, and the moments of relaxation after escaping the cold into a warm building with warm drinks and food.

The discussion we shared was nice too. We didn't talk about anything in particular. Athena and Alicia spoke with the easy familiarity of long friendship, while Alice and I chimed in with the tentative first steps of of a friendship yet to come. It was short. Too soon Alicia and Athena needed to leave. The life of a Prima was a busy one, and neither had half as much time as they would have liked. The only reason I could imagine anybody choosing to become a Prima was that they loved their job.

I could hardly wait to become a Prima.

* * *

Last Updated: January 21, 2016


	11. 11: That Mysterious Place…

Chapter 11: That Mysterious Place...

The wonderful and erratic days of spring had arrived. Each day brought its own unique feelings which were impossible to predict in advance. One day would have a heatwave which made it feel like summer couldn't wait to start, and the next day would carry with it a snap of coolness which made it feel like winter hadn't quite given up yet, The variety of days was endless and utterly refreshing.

We were still using our winter uniforms. Company policy had us continue to use them for a few more weeks, as a company-wide letter had reminded everybody. They had an official date for everything. On some of the hotter days it was hard to understand why we were waiting so long, and on some of the colder days it was hard to understand why it would be so soon.

There was a new issue of Undine Magazine out. It featured a picture of Alice on the cover. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I passed by the mail room. The curiosity instantly welled up inside me and tempted me to stop and read it immediately. However I couldn't. It would have made me late for my morning meeting with Ariel and everybody else prior to practice. I had been scolded too many times to be willing to do that again. I would need to wait until the evening to read the articles within the magazine and the highlight of Alice therein. That still gave me plenty of time before I would next see her. Alice had school this morning, as on most days, so there was no chance to see her. I would be out practicing alone again this day, as on most days.

I managed to beat Ariel to the morning meeting. That was a good sign. The area was already busy, like on all working days. The Primas were taking their perfect brilliant white gondolas out of the port with barely a word. The Singles were more social as they found their black practice gondolas and traveled towards the other passage which led to Neo Venezia, always yielding to the deliberate motions Primas whenever their paths crossed. More social still were the Pairs, who chatted as they retrieved their gondolas and subsequently as they paired up to paddle around the harbor, much like I used to with Adrianna and the others.

April and Ashley chatted between themselves about shoes, and movies, and speculation of how to become a Single. The most recent theory was that there was a secret tester disguised as a Pair who rode with everybody and ran a secret test of their skill. I had to laugh at the notion. As I had gone through the actual test to the Land of Hope myself, the theories which April, Ashley, Adriana, and the other Pairs came up with were always amusing.

Ariel strode into the room in a hurry. Equally in a hurry she said, "Good morning. Sorry I have to cut this meeting short, but I have a last-minute customer in five minutes. Management wants us to remind everybody that we still need to be wearing winter uniforms even if you aren't interacting with customers. That's you, Ashley."

Ashley gave a worried look. She was wearing her winter uniform now, but had worn her summer uniform the day before when a heatwave had run through the city.

"Just regular practice today. I'll see you next week Akari-chan. Everybody else I'll see you tomorrow," Ariel concluded. And with that, she was off. The morning meeting was short, as normal. She was always in a hurry. It was common for her to be in a hurry with some morning appointment or another errand. Sometimes we were lucky and got a bit more time. It was only on the monthly day Ariel taught me directly that I would get very much time with her at all.

We all broke up into our various groups. Ashley, April, and Adrianna went off to get one of the black boats to practice in the port. I went to get another practice boat all on my own, in accordance with my pre-scheduled practice plan. It was a well familiar experience.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." Sometimes the exchanges between me and the man who watched the port would be extensive conversations about family, or something interesting which happened in the city, or some new recipe, or some advice about this or that. Sometimes we would just greet each other in passing.

I found my favorite gondola. It was like a new old friend. The dings and blemishes would be frowned upon by a customer, but to me they added an individual character to the boat. They were proof of all of the months we had spent together going through the canals of Neo Venezia and of the shared life we had lived on the waterways.

"I'm going," I announced to nobody in particular. I then pushed off.

Ashley, April, and Adriana had only just pushed off as well. This was despite their having three times as many people as me to help with preparation. Or maybe it was because they had three times as many people as me to get onto the gondola and get ready. It would be the last time I would see them today. They, along with most Pairs, would have long been finished with their practice by the time I returned to the port. Most of the Singles would have returned as well.

I pushed my way through the water, out of the harbor, into the tunnel, and out of Orange Planet.

"Where did I say I was going to go today?" I asked out loud to myself. "I think it was... that way."

The bowl I had placed in the gondola rolled back and forth and back and forth. It gave a distinctive light scraping sound of metal on wood which reminded me of its presence. It made me mindful to be more gentle as I rowed. The scrape lightened a bit as a result while the bowl went back and forth and back and forth, moving in time with the lapping of water against the side of the boat. It sounded off in synchronization with the quiet splash of my oar as it entered and left the water. It sounded off in synchronization with with the gentle whisper of my uniform as I rowed. I felt like a conductor, bringing everything together into one grand performance. I tried to lower the sound of the bowl and the oar and instead let the beauty of the water against the boat come through.

I didn't feel like distracting from the performance I was creating for myself, so I rowed in silence past the various tourist sites on either side of me.

The places which I had once before and would once again proudly declare the heritage and the history passed by with the orchestration of rowing embracing me. Another day in the future I would once again proclaim their wonder. One day I would even share it with tourist someday when somebody wanted one of the less expensive experiences provided by a Single, or maybe in the far future atop a white gondola when I became a Prima.

I would have my chance to share my relationship with Neo Venezia to a customer one of these day, I had no doubt.

The coming spring brought with it a new facet of New Venezia. The buildings had a new light and a new life. They emerged from the secluded winter with a new coat of paint or a new cleaning or some new decorations. They came into bloom in a fashion similar to all of the flowers in all of the gardens which dotted the city.

As I rowed further into the city, a new accompaniment joined in to the chorus of my boat. Some vocals in the form of people calling out, and some harmony from the motor boats passing by, and some percussion from the knocking of wood against wood as boats docked and ramps were placed to allow easy entry and departure from ships. They all formed the music of life of Neo Venezia. It was like a little symphony all put on for me, where I was not only the audience but was also the manager and the conductor and the performer all in one.

Several people called out to me as I went. I called back to them as well. The were more of the common yet extraordinary meetings on the path of life. Simple "hellos" and "how are yous" and "have a nice days." Each meant nothing. Each meant everything. I exchanged them as they came up, with my hearing and my speaking both adding to the melodies of life.

There was one greeting which stood out, as a star soprano of an opera would stand out.

"Punya!"

"Good morning, Punya-san!"

"Punya, nya, nya-nya." The well-dressed cat continued to follow me. I let the gondola drift to a stop.

"Do you want to come along?" Ariel, Alice, or Punya-san. Practice was always more fun with a companion of some kind. More productive too.

"Nya." The cat jumped onto my gondola as eagerly as a child. And like a child, he jostled the boat quite a bit in doing so. He was fairly pudgy. I had to fight to maintain the balance of both myself and the boat. It was less than an eager child would have caused me to rock around, which in turn was less than if an adult would have tried the same. An adult would have swamped the boat. A child would likely have caused me to fall into the chilly water below. I maintained my poise in the face of Punya-san's pounce.

Punya marched around, found a comfortable spot, and then took a seat on one of the seats of the gondola. He moved with the ease and confidence of a seasoned professional. He had the familiarity of a frequent passenger on a gondola.

"Punya!" Punya said. He pointed forward with one of his forelegs.

"Hahii!"

I pushed off against the land to my side and made my way forward again.

Punya was a bit pudgy, but nowhere near as heavy as a real human child. His weight only partially counterbalanced the rocking of the gondola as I took stroke after stroke after stroke.

"Nya, ny-nya nya nya?" Punya asked. He was staring at the bowl in front of the gondola as it wobbled and bobbled around.

"I use that for practice. It makes it easier to tell how the gondola is moving when I'm on my own," I said.

"Nya punya nya?"

"I don't get to practice with other people that much. I started practicing with Alice-chan recently, but she still has to go to school," I continued to muse. It was a bit sad. If only Adriana had still been willing to practice together, or Ashley, or April. Or any of the Singles in the company. I thought I was pretty friendly, but none of the Singles in Orange Planet really seemed interested.

We were coming up to the Fenice Theater.

"Over on your left you can see the Fenice Theater. The theater is a faithful recreation of the theater from Manhome. This rebuilding on Neo Venezia wasn't the only time the theater was reborn after being destroyed. It was originally built back in... uhh... 1774 when the San Bene... Bene..." I tried to remember the name of the theater it had replaced "... Benedetto Theater had burned down. The Fenice Theater was rebuilt from the remains, like the legendary phoenix which is reborn from its own ashes." I tried to remember what else there was to say about the theater. I couldn't think of anything else.

"Nya," Punya said.

Punya acted so differently as compared to all of the cats on Manhome. He walked like Manhome cat, but that was about it. Sometimes he moved more like a little human child. The way he meowed was just as much like he was talking than giving an animal's cry. And those bright blue eyes of his. It was all quite amazing.

"You know, you remind me of some of the Neo Venezian legends."

"Punya?"

"Undine refer to the blue eyes that cats like you have as 'aquamarine eyes.' For ages the aquamarine has been considered as the protector of the 'Goddess of the Sea.' In Neo Venezia, all the Undine operators have a blue-eyed cat as their president as a symbol and prayer of safety." It sounded quite magical, and with Punya around I could easily believe it. He seemed a bit magical, too. "I wonder what kind of world you see with your aquamarine eyes."

"Nya."

I rowed onward, vaguely in the direction of San Marco Square. It was one of the most popular destinations for guests and it was important to know it very well. Most of my practices, started, ended, or crossed that area at some points.

"Do you see all the chrysanthemums everywhere?" I asked my practice customer. "They were first bought to Venice by Marco Polo after a trip to China. They became a very popular flower in the city. This legacy has continued to Neo Venezia. You can see all around us..."

"Punya, nya nya," Punya interrupted. He had gotten very animated and was pointing with one of his forelegs to one of the side passages. I was in one of the quiet canals of the city. Nothing special distinguished either it or the the small side passage Punya was pointing at.

"Hahii? You want to go there?"

"Nya."

There weren't any other boats around me. It was safe to slow down and come to a complete stop. I kept the gondola straight as I quickly backed up a bit. Even after all these months I still found it easier to row backwards rather than forward. It was good to stay in practice for that, too, in case I ever ended up stuck in a tight canal.

Once I had retraced my path sufficiently to point the gondola in the direction of the quiet canal Punya had pointed out to me, I eased my my way forward again.

The canal was modest. Quiet. Small. Not too small. It comfortably fit both me and my gondola. I gently drifted back and forth and back and forth as I progressed forward. It was an easy path with a slight curve to keep things interesting. It made me lose sight of the open sunlight as I plunged forward. The high walls on both sides kept the area in the shade with just a hint of a breeze to keep things a bit chilly.

The complications in the path showed themselves after a few minutes of easy rowing. This came as no surprise. Back canals always had more twists and turns and splits and intersections than I expected from the onset. It quickly got to the point that I couldn't see two boat lengths in front or behind me. Punya directed me with confidence despite this. This included pointing at a large double-door.

"In there?" I asked.

"Nya."

"Okay. Here I go."

I nudged the wooden doors open with an oar. They weren't like the simple metal fences which were common sights blocking various areas in the water. These were sold wooden doors, like the kind which led into buildings. It stood to reason seeing how Punya was directing me into a building. It reminded me of the time Ariel had guided me through an old library. This place must once have housed a company, or business, or family, or something. It was quite large. And it was flooded. It was like a permanent Aqua Alta, when the high tides came in and flooded the city. The ordinary stairs and ordinary doors led from sights unseen into the water.

It was a dark and murky building. Despite being the middle of the day, I was plunged into a darkness which was almost like night.

Trying to navigate my gondola through the twisting corridors which had been designed instead to be walked through was excellent practice. This was both for the tight spaces as well as for the convoluted paths. The canals on the outside were confusing enough, but the building was downright maze-like. It was a little better when we emerged from the building into a small waterlogged plaza, but the apparently identical passages which surrounded the disabled fountain did little to help me remember directions.

It felt like dozens, or hundreds, of eyes were staring at me in the darkness. Sometimes, when I erupted out into a courtyard filled with light, I could see several cats perched on the rafters or windows sitting there watching me. Far from being ominous, it felt more like a curiosity.

The confusing twists and turns were too much for me. In short order I had lost my bearings and had to rely on Punya's direction as we went from room to corridor to room to canal to courtyard to room to canal. Most of the trip was conducted in a twilight of an atmosphere. Sometimes it would be darker, and sometimes it would be brightly lit. There would be the sparkle of sunlight against a glass window, or a wall covered in vines reaching to the skies.

We continued on and on. I don't know for how long. For minutes at least. Maybe for hours. Maybe for days. I could have gone on forever. It was almost hypnotic. We must have gone through a half a dozen buildings in addition to the more traditional canals and passages. Through each of them I felt the eyes of Neo Venezia upon me. The more I saw, the more I felt like it was all the same. They were the different buildings and the different lives of Neo Venezia. But it was all Neo Venezia.

The trip was almost silent. Punya was only giving the occasional direction, and I was bereft of anything to say about this mystic world. I simply rowed forward while absorbing the ambiance around me. The symphony from before had turned into a duet. The splashing of my oar into the water, and the water against be gondola were the only sounds which resonated around me. The walls echoed the splashes gave a cavernous hollow sound to the moving water as it surrounded me.

And suddenly the exit was upon me. I emerged once again into the blinding sunlight. I automatically squinted in response. I raised my arm against the sun to further aid me. I blinked, and blinked, and blinked. I couldn't help myself. The change was so drastic.

The overly-saturated image all around me slowly fixed itself as my eyes adjusted to the intense light. There was a sparkle, a shimmer, to the area all around me. The city had woken up to my eyes, changing from the peaceful and sleepy hidden side of Neo Venezia into the fully prepared city ready to receive visitors.

There was a smattering of other boats on the water near me. It was enough that I had to resume paying attention to avoid causing a traffic jam, but not so many that there was any real risk of one happening. One of the numerous plazas of the city was directly across from me and the canal I had emerged from. I didn't recognize this particular one, but that didn't stop me from appreciating its simple beauty. It was surrounded by rows of buildings in the traditional colors of Neo Venezia. White, beige, cream, brown. There was even a couple of blues and reds thrown in to complete the scene.

The area around me stuck me as being unfamiliar, although that wasn't quite the right term to use. Even though I didn't recognize it, I felt like I should. Something niggled at me that I should know where I was, but I really didn't. I didn't let that deter me. I was always excited to discover a new side of Neo Venezia. It was even better for practice. I could learn more about the city and practice my rowing skills all at the same time.

I picked a direction and continued on.

The small canal transformed into a larger back passage, which in turn transformed into a minor thoroughfare. I was sure if I continued on it would continue to grow and become a major thoroughfare, and eventually lead into the wider Aqua ocean surrounding Neo Venezia. We were all interconnected on the planet, from the largest body of water to the smallest unnavigable alley. They all combined to form the living world that was Aqua, and Neo Venezia, and Orange Planet, and Akari Mizunashi.

Once I reached the level of minor thoroughfare I recognized a building configuration and everything snapped into place. I could finally place where I was. I was near Orto botanico di Padova. Punya had led me through one of the smaller canals to get there which was why I had had such a hard time finding my bearings. Even once I recognized where I was, it still felt a bit different to me. It was like St. Marco Square in the middle of a rainstorm. It was still obviously the same place, but it was so obviously different too.

"Good morning, Akari-chan."

"Hahii?"

I looked around to see who had called out to me. To my surprise, it was a Prima in her pristine gondola. The white and blue floated like a pearl of beauty on the crystal clear water and glittered in the sunlight.

The Prima herself was unmistakable. I had never forgotten the sight of Alicia since I had first seen her on the water. How could I? She was one of the Three Water Fairies, one of the shining emblems of a perfect Undine. She wore the unique white and blue uniform which I had never seen on any other Undine around the Neo Venezia, complete with matching blue tie and cute hat.

I was more surprised that she recognized me. We had only met in person one time a few months ago. And I was only the friend of the protegee of a friend to her. That she would both recognize me and give me such a warm reception made it no wonder why she was considered one of the Three Water Fairies.

"Good morning, Alicia-san."

"Ara, ara. Were you visiting Alice-chan at Orange Planet again today?"

"Not yet. Alice-chan has school today. I might see her later."

"I see. I need to go pick up my 10:30 appointment. I should be home early today."

"Okay." I was confused. I wasn't sure why Alicia was telling me this. "Have a nice trip."

"Pu-punya-nya."

"Ara, ara. See you later too, Aria-shachou."

Alicia rowed away with the decisive grace that was emblematic of Snow White. It didn't look like she rowed so much as the water parted for her and shepherded her forward.

"Aria-shachou?" I asked. I looked down to the pudgy cat, complete with his giant blue ribbon and blue hat. It looked suspiciously like the same style hat which Alicia had been wearing. "You're a president of a company?"

"Punya!"

"I had no idea." Punya, or rather Aria, was certainly dressed more fancy than most of the cats around Neo Venezia. That was easy, though. Most of the cats were like their Manhome brethren and wore nothing. However even in comparison to the various cats who did wear hats or ribbons or other clothing, Aria was still dressed more fancy than most. "No wonder you have that hat," I further mused. It had the word "Aria" stenciled in golden lettering in front of a large black tag.

"It's a pleasure to finally know your name, Aria-shachou," I said. I gave a bow to Aria, which was no small feat as I was still piloting my gondola. I teetered a bit but managed to keep my balance. I was pretty proud of myself for that achievement.

"Pu-pu-punya-nya." Aria gave a bow back to me, which was also quite a feat given he was a cat.

"Anyway, let's go!" Practice wouldn't take care of itself, and discovery of Punya's secret identity didn't affect that.

"Nya!"

I continued onward. I thought it would feel a bit strange to row with Aria now that I knew who he was and that he was the president of a different company, but it was fine. It felt very much the same as always. He was still Punya, even if he was also Aria.

"Was this shrine always here?" I asked. There was a little alcove on the side, with a statue of the Virgin Mary. I had never noticed it before. Now that I had, I wasn't sure how I hadn't before. It looked semi-neglected, which ironically gave it a feeling of substance and permanence.

"Nya nya nya."

It never ceased to amaze me the depth of Neo Venezia. There was always something new to discover in the daily patterns of life. It ensured that the pattern never truly became routine, and that life would never become humdrum.

I gave a slight nod to the statue before continuing to row onward.

"Good afternoon, Undine-chan," a passer-by called out to me.

"Good afternoon," I said back to the chocolate seller. I had only talked to him a couple of times, but a friendly hello was always nice.

"Good afternoon. How is your garden? Did the new fertilizer help?" I asked a woman on the street.

"How did you know my garden is having trouble, miss?" the woman asked back.

"You told me about it last week, remember?" I asked.

"I did?" She asked. "Oh well. New fertilizer you say? I'll need to try that."

"Good luck," I said. I definitely felt deja vu from that conversation, but I brushed it off. I must have mistaken that woman for a different woman who had mentioned how her flowers never bloomed. Hopefully the same advice from the gardener from Orange Planet would help her too.

As was usual, if I were being honest, my practice was two-parts socializing for each part of actual rowing. But I wouldn't have it any other way. The ambiance of Neo Venezia the biggest reason I loved the city. Being an Undine was one thing, but only one of the many parts which had drawn me to Aqua. Most people preferred the mechanic efficiency and modern lifestyle of Manhome. Most people didn't know what they were missing. On Aqua, things would happen when they happened. I enjoyed the life there all the more because of it.

While I was passing San Marco Square, I noticed Alice walking around on the land. What was strange was that she was wearing her Orange Planet uniform. I had expected to see her in her school uniform. Moreover I had expected her to not be on the street at all. School was still in session.

"Alice-chan! Alice-chan!"

She didn't turn to me. She was a fair distance away. There was the ever-bustling crowd between us, and she was talking to somebody else as well. I didn't really recognize the girl she was talking to, but she must have also been an Undine. She wore the white dress which only Undine wore. Hers had a red accent, carrying the pattern of Hime-ya.

"Alice-chan!" I tried calling out one last time before giving up. I would see her again later in the day, or tomorrow, or the day after. Eventually. She was my neighbor so I was certain to see her sooner or later. In the meantime I still had my practice. There was no reason to interrupt Alice and her unknown friend.

I moved back into the open water around San Marco Plaza. It wasn't as critical to practice here. There were a lot of boats, but there was likewise a lot of space. The biggest challenge was the waves. When the large motorboats passed by, their huge wake would fiercely rock my gondola around. I needed to position the boat such that it wouldn't be swamped and the hull wouldn't crack from the stresses. They were good skills to have. San Marco Square was one of the most popular destination for tourists and I was certain I would spend a great deal of time there over the years.

After a bit of rowing around I left the harbor and returned to one of the the smaller passages on my way to the next site in Neo Venezia. My surroundings once again blended into the mercurial and ever changing smaller waterways of the city, where each encounter was unique and needed to be handled differently based on what boat I met and where I met it.

"Oi, pigtails!"

The limited space and countless paths required more dedicated practice to memorize and master. They weren't the hardest place to row. I placed that honor to the treacherous waters around some of the islands and in certain select locations there would be devious crosscurrents waiting to seize the gondola right out from under my feet. If I merely wanted to practice my balance and rowing techniques, it would have been more productive to go exploring there.

"Pigtails!"

That could wait for the future, when I was more proficient and confident in my ability to handle them. Fortunately they weren't the most popular destinations for tourists, either. For now I felt like it was more important to spend my time learning about the areas around Neo Venezia. The fact that I still didn't feel like I quite knew where I was was enough of an indication of that.

"Pigtails!"

"Hahii?" I stopped rowing and looked around. Somebody was calling out to get the attention of somebody, and that somebody wasn't answering. I wondered who and what it was.

"Finally. What's wrong, Pigtails? You're even more spaced out than usual," a young man said. He had a short ponytail and wore a large white overcoat with fiery-red trim. He was also looking straight at me.

I looked behind me to see if he might have been talking to somebody behind me, but there was nobody there. I pointed to myself and asked, "Me?"

"Yeah. Who else but you has such thick pigtails?" the man asked. He pointed at the long bangs on the sides of my face

"They aren't pigtails," I protested.

"That's more like it," he said. "What're you doing out here?"

I wasn't sure why he was interested, but that also didn't put me off. I frequently exchanged small talk with the various people I met all across Neo Venezia. It was impossible to tell when a chance meeting would turn into a lifelong friendship. Besides, it was much more pleasant to join in with the vibe of the city.

"I'm practicing."

"Nya, ny-nya nya."

"What brings you around here?" I asked back.

"My brother is making me deliver something for him."

"How nice of you," I said. He was weird, but if he was helping out his brother then he couldn't have been all bad.

"That reminds me, I'm going to be late. I'll see you later, Pigtails!" he shouted behind him as he took off running in the opposite direction.

"They aren't pigtails," I feebly protested. However, the man had already disappeared.

I turned down to Aria and said, "What a strange man."

"Punya," Aria said back. I could almost imagine seeing a shrug from the cat.

"I think I'm ready to go home. What do you say, Pun... I mean Aria-shachou?"

"Punya-nya!"

I once again resumed rowing. I looked for a wider part of the canal where I could turn around more easily. The traffic in the area was quiet enough that I didn't feel any particular rush, and the few other people on the water around me were patient enough to let me turn even though I blocked the whole canal while I did so. I then pushed off again, back in the direction I had come from.

It was the same route with the same buildings, but somehow going in the opposite direction made it feel completely different. Things which had been clear and open before were now blocked by the placement of buildings and flowering trees, and things which had previously been hidden were now plainly visible. It was like an entirely different path, even as it was exactly the same. It struck me how this was one of the challenges, and one of the pleasures, of being an Undine. No two tours were ever exactly the same. The challenge was to find the best path through the city and to know where you were no matter which rout you ended needing to take.

"Pupuya," Aria said. He was waiving to one of the side canals.

"Here?" I asked. I must have gotten turned around somehow. I didn't think that that was where I had come from. In fact I didn't even remember seeing that canal when I had been rowing in the opposite direction. It was almost hidden away by the buildings.

"Nya."

"Okay." Aria's suggestion of a practice path had been good so far. I didn't see any reason to start doubting him now.

It was tricky to maneuver the gondola to be mostly perpendicular to the entrance. The people I now shared the canal with were just as patient as the others from before as I slowly moved my gondola into position. It took longer than it should have, if I were being honest. I'm sure that Ariel or the other Primas could have done it in half the time. It was just more practice. Something more for me to strive to and another mark of improvement.

I gave a hesitant wave in both apology to the people around me before I pressed forward and entered Aria's selected path.

The path was long, and winding, and perfect for practice. The different houses and palinas and docks and crosscurrents and everything provided a well calibrated amount of difficulty for me in the small passage. Some parts of the path were so narrow that if I had encountered somebody else coming in the other direction I would have needed to stop and let them pass first. It was a moot point. There were only me and Aria in the passage. It was like we had the entire town to ourself.

Surrounding me was the different flavors of Neo Venezia I had become accustomed to finding all around the city. Accustomed to, but I still adored experiencing them. The presence, or absence, of planters below a second-floor window. Clothing hanging out to soak up every drop of sunlight possible. Window shutters wide open to welcome the early spring, as if glass had never been invented. They all told a different story of the owners as we swam through the afternoon.

We emerged back into the open sunlight once again. There was that brief moment of disorientation while I looked around before I recognized where I was and my perception snapped into place with my mental map of Neo Venezia. It wasn't quite where I had been expecting to re-emerge back into the city proper. I would need to check a map later to see where I had gone. For that matter, I would want to check the map anyway to note the route Aria had led me through. It was an excellent training path and I would want to visit it again sooner or later.

"I think I'm ready to go home."

"Punya."

I started off in the rough direction of Orange Planet, but only the rough direction. I was ready to go home, but not quite ready to arrive. I didn't want the day to end quite yet. I wanted to take the scenic path. It was more practice, and I was being a bit selfish too.

The first few turns I took more or less at random. I simply let the impulses of fate bring me where they would. I found myself myself making my way towards Alice's school. Once I realized which direction I had ended up traveling I decided that it must have meant something and more firmly made my way there. Alice hadn't attended for some reason, and it was unlikely any tourist would ever ask to see it, but I still wanted to see it. It was a landmark if nothing else.

"Nya, na-nya nya," Aria said as I made my way to the school. He was pointing over to the side of the boat.

"Hahii? Here?" I asked.

"Punya."

"Okay."

Far be it for me to disagree with a customer, pretend that it may be. I feathered my way over to the cobblestone sidewalk next to me. It was beautiful to look at, with the irregular stones adding a depth of texture to the sight and making it easy to imagine this being Venice in the 17th century. It was also horribly impractical to walk on. Even in my solid Orange Planet boots my ankles needed to feel out every step and twist with the unpredictable surface below. It was the type of trade-off between form and function which so frequently occurred in Neo Venezia and would never had occurred on Manhome.

On the other hand, maneuvering a gondola next to the cobblestone sidewalk was just as easy as if it were one of the flat concrete slabs so popular on Manhome. Likewise the traffic was light enough and the water still enough that it was about as easy as it could be. But the stony side along the land was still hard and liable to add yet another scratch on the painted gondola if I weren't doubly careful. I had discovered that enough times through my accidental abuse of my gondola.

I edged closer and closer until I was nudged right next to the land.

"Punya!" Aria shouted. He then leaped over the tiny divide, which widened substantially as he soared through the air. His jump had pushed the gondola away with just as much force as it pushed him up and over the ledge. If it weren't for the fact that I out-massed Aria considerably, albeit less so than any number of less pudgy cats, he would likely have not have had enough velocity to bring himself safely to the ground.

But I did. And he did. He landed with a light thump and brought himself upright.

Everything about the cat made more sense now, now that I knew more about Aria. He had always seemed good on the water. He was more comfortable on a boat than any cat from Manhome I could imagine, and he was deft in getting on, getting off, and moving around. If he was one of the presidents of a company, this easy familiarity made perfect sense.

"Bye bye," I waved to my practice customer.

"Nya nya."

"Akari-senpai?"

I looked around and saw Alice. She was in her school uniform and heading to school.

In her school uniform? Heading to school?

"Hahii? Alice-chan, what are you doing here?"

"That was what I was going to ask you?"

"I'm practicing. I almost finished when I realized where I was and wanted to go see your school. What about you? Isn't it a bit late to be going to classes?" I asked.

"Classes are over today. I'm leaving school, not going to it," Alice said. This was despite the clear evidence that she was on a direct path towards the building. In fact, it was right in front of both of us. The large gateposts to the left and right of the entrance were unmissable. There wasn't actually a gate to close, but the plain square gateposts which marked the beginning of the equally plain wall still served as a demarcation of where the school grounds started. They added just a bit of a decorative flare as well.

"But isn't the school over there?" I pointed. There were still a few stragglers making their way out of the gates.

"Yes, but I'm going that way," Alice said. She pointed behind her.

"Hahii?" I was confused.

Alice furtively looked around, and then said, "Promise you won't laugh."

"Okay, I promise," I said. I wondered what the big secret was.

Alice walked up to me, walking backwards for some reason, and said in a quiet voice, "It's a rule."

"A rule?"

"I need to walk home today only walking backwards," Alice said.

"Hahii?" I asked. "The schools on Aqua sure are weirder than the ones on Manhome."

"It's not the school. I'm doing it myself. It's a self-imposed rule."

That did explain why everybody else wearing a school uniform was walking in a more normal fashion. I asked, "So it's like some kind of game?"

"No. It's hugely important business."

"I see." I didn't see how walking backwards to Orange Planet could be hugely important. Regardless, I made up my mind. "That sounds like fun. I'll come with you too."

I was about to turn my gondola to row backwards with Alice, but I remembered being yelled at by Ariel. I had no desire to go through that again. It seemed that I would be able to join Alice in presence but not in action.

We proceeded back to Orange Planet. It was far from the most direct route. There were several overland paths which Alice could have taken if I weren't with her, much like there were several pathless waterways which I would have taken if it were not for Alice. The requirement of only taking routes which were both water and land accessible added an exciting new challenge to the task of determining how best to return to Orange Planet. It also provided a good excuse to see the various parts of Neo Venezia which I usually didn't have a reason to visit.

"You didn't tell me you knew anybody from Hime-ya? How is that company? Are they like Orange Planet?" I asked. That Alice was walking backwards made it that much easier to talk to her as we moved. We were mostly facing each other, and our paces matched quite well.

"What are you talking about? I don't know anybody in Hime-ya."

"You don't? I thought I saw you talking to somebody in a Hime-ya uniform today, over by San Marco Square."

"I was in school all day," Alice said. "I wasn't anywhere near there."

"Weird," I said. I had been sure it had been Alice that I had seen, but if she had been in school all day then it couldn't have been her. I must have been mistaken, although I'm not sure how I could have been. There weren't very many girls as small as Alice with hair as long as hers in Orange Planet. There must have been at least one more more.

"How was your day?" Alice asked me.

"It was good. I learned this really good practice route. You should try it. It was pretty quiet, and it had all these fun twists and turns. It even went through an old abandoned building."

"That does sound hugely interesting. Where was it?"

"It was kind of near Marco Polo Square, but it's kind of far away as well."

"There's a passage that goes through a building around there?" Alice asked.

"Hahii. I'll show you back at Orange Planet." There was a large map of the city near the front entrance. It served many purposes. It provided a good visual of the city, it greeted the customers who were entering Orange Planet, and it was very handy for looking around Neo Venezia with somebody else.

We continued on to Orange Planet. It was funny to watch Alice walking backwards, bumping into things as she went. One time she apologized to a tree before she realized what it was. We made our way back at our own pace. By the time we were approaching, the brilliant sunset painted Orange Planet in a vivid color reminiscent of its namesake.

Alice entered through the main entrance of Orange Planet, once again walking forward in a normal direction. We had to part ways for a bit as I took my gondola through the tunnel at the side of the building and docked the boat appropriately. It was only for a bit.

Strangely the old man was absent from the harbor when I entered and stowed my gondola away for the night. That was unusual, but not unheard of. I was sure he was off getting a meal or attending to an errand or something. It was impossible to be at a post all day every day, even if sometimes the man seemed to be doing exactly that.

I met up with Alice once again at the large map near the entrance of Orange Planet. By this point most of the tourists had returned home. The spacious hallways of the building were only sparsely populated. There was one Undine manning the desk in case any late visitors came, but besides her and the occasional passing Prima we had the room and the map to ourselves.

"That path is over..." I started saying. I held that last word as I traced the route I took through the city. It looked so different from an aerial view as compared to from the ground. It took me a bit to get my bearings.

"Over..." I repeated as I continued to trace the different twists and turns I had taken prior to meeting Aria, and then the path we took together.

"Here," I said. I tapped on the map where Aria had led me to the side.

"I don't see anything there," Alice said.

"Hahii?" It was true. Right under my finger was a large building. There was nothing which resembled a navigable waterway in any fashion nearby. "I'm sure it was there."

"Weird."

"I guess I don't remember it right. I'll check it again tomorrow," I said. It was a good practice path, and it wasn't like there was a particular other path I needed to take.

Yet despite my efforts, I didn't find that side path the next day, or the day after, or the few other times I searched for it in the following days. I would recognize the path I had taken up to the point of meeting Aria, and then a couple of turns after that, but then the scenery would not match what I had remembered at all.

In the end, I chalked it up as one of the mysteries of Neo Venezia.

* * *

Last Updated: February 4, 2016


	12. 12: That Other Side…

Chapter 12: That Other Side...

The progression was so infinitesimally small that it was barely noticeably. But the little differences each day brought with it added up. Just four months prior the lingering chills of winter refused to give up, but now the early harbinger of summer was showing how eager it was to arrive. The temperatures were now warm enough that it was comfortable to return to Orange Planet in the evening, even with the short sleeve and light cloth of the summer uniforms we all wore.

Those evenings were getting later and later too. The days were also slowly growing longer as well. They had become long enough that I was treated to a beautiful sunset as extra company as I ate my dinner. It was like a double feast. I got to savor both the delicious food with my mouth as well as the gorgeous view with my eyes. Everything was much simpler and more plain than my life on Manhome had been, and the inner beauty of everything showed through all the more clear for it.

The trip back to Orange Planet was if anything more scenic than dinner spent basking in the sunset. The last whispers of sunlight had faded, which left the city below to be lit with street lamps which illuminated road and canal equally well. The darkness completely changed the skyline of the city. Rather than colorful rooftops spanning the distance and the blue water reflecting the crystal sky, the skyline was instead a collection of bright sparkles of light from the windows and street lamps and stars. The water below continued to reflect everything above, leaving me swimming through an underwater mirrored version of Neo Venezia while the thousands upon millions of lights danced around me on the waves. It made me feel like I was swimming through all of space, very much like how Aqua floated through the universe.

Somehow the water felt choppier in the quiet of the night as compared to the broad daylight. It was strange. In the day there were dozens of people going about their lives with motor boats, gondolas, canoes, and vessels of all type. There was none of that at night, but that didn't stop the canals from feeling rougher. I'm not sure if it was because the tides were affected by the nightfall. Or it could have been an optical illusion from how the glitter of half-reflected lights bounced off the water. Or it could have been an auditory illusion from how the splashes of oar against water sounded louder in the sleepy Neo Venezia ambiance.

There were fewer people going about their business at this hour, and the limited vision made everything stand out that much more starkly. It made each encounter feel more immediate and more real than during the daily practice in the bright sunlight surrounded by dozens of fellow boats.

Back when I had first landed on Aqua I would have been afraid of getting lost. But that was no longer the case. I didn't know all of the small side canals and paths as well as Ariel did, let alone know all of the lore she did. However I had been along these canals dozens upon dozens of times, so there was no chance of me to get lost among the sea of stars. Even if I did get disoriented somehow, I had learned enough of the layout of the city such that it would be easy for me to find out where I was and how to return to Orange Planet.

I was surrounded by well-known friends, appearing different in the lamplight but still intensely familiar. There was that walkway lined with the wavy handrail. There was that tree with that low branch I had to duck under. There was that small park with the fountain in the center and the playground peeking out in the distance behind it. The fountain had turned back on a week ago, and I enjoyed the sound of the splashing water and the reflected sparkles in the darkness.

The entrance canal to Orange Planet was as brightly lit as it always was. Whether it was day or night, the front entrance or the side canals, Orange Planet was always set up to present a welcoming ambiance for any guest who decided to visit.

The practice port had been all but abandoned, which was to be expected. I never saw any Pairs around whenever I returned this late. As I docked my gondola I saw a couple of Primas here and there. In the past a few of them would stare at me, or sometimes even ask what I was doing there so late. Not anymore. They now all continued to hustle about on their business, giving me about as much attention as they gave the other Primas, the gondolas, and the signs which dotted the scenery of the area. I had tried to strike up a conversation with them in the past, but hadn't had much success. Maybe I would try again one of these days, the next time my path brought me along side one of the Primas returning to the dormitories.

"Another late night today?" the attendant who watched the gondolas asked me as I was walking out of the harbor. "You need to stop that. I can't keep covering for you."

"Sorry. I was out to see the Church of San Geremia today, and I got caught up with looking around. Did you know that they have the remains of Saint Lucia di Siracusa are there? The church saved them when Venice was started to flood and then later moved them here. The big cross in the center of the church is new, though. They remade it and the rest of the building using the same construction techniques they had used when it was first built in the 11th century."

The man gave a hearty laugh. "I see, I see. It's for a good cause, at leasts. Too bad more people aren't as enthusiastic as you. It seems like all the others cut off practice early."

"That sounds like a waste. What could be more fun than being out on the water?"

The attendant gave another laugh, then said, "With that attitude, you'll go far."

"Thank you." The discussion reminded me. "How is your son doing?"

"He's doing good. He has a birthday coming up. I'm going to go visit him."

"He's on Manhome, right? That's a long trip. How long are you going to go for?"

"I'm going to go for a month. It'll be my first time on Manhome. I'm pretty excited."

"That does sound exciting. What are you going to do there?" I got excited for him just thinking about it. It reminded me of my trip to Aqua. It had been my first interstellar trip as well, and it was easily the most exciting thing I had ever done.

"I don't know. I saw a lot of things on my computer and got confused. I'll probably go and visit an Undine company on Manhome and let them show me around the city."

"They don't have anything like Undine companies there. They do have a couple of tour companies, but you need to tell them the things you want to see."

"They don't have Undines? I'm glad I mentioned it. Then what do you recommend?"

"I don't know. There's a lot of good things. There's Tokyo Tower of course. And the Emperor's Garden. And the swordsmithing museum. Actually there's lots of fun things there. Why don't you ask your son where he wants to go? I think it's the company more than the places which make a trip worth taking."

"Very true. Have a nice night."

"See you tomorrow."

I continued onward into Orange Planet. The wonderful carpeting I felt underneath my feet upon entering the building proper felt just as plush as always. It muffled all but the most insistently loud feet running on the expansive tile flooring throughout Orange Planet. In addition to feeling luscious, the heavy flooring had provided some much needed warmth during the winter. That bit of insulation was no longer needed, though.

It might not have been needed, but the thick carpeting was still a pleasure. It was springy enough to be felt even under the boots of my Orange Planet uniform, and it added a happy little bounce to my step as I continued onward. It was fun in the morning, and it felt great after a long day on my feet.

My first stop was the mail room. There were hundreds of little boxes all lined up. All of those seemingly identical slots, but just one was mine. Just one was special. I checked it, but there was nothing in it. Adriana must have already checked it. She still wasn't talking to me, but at least she was courteous enough to give me my mail when she collected it for the room.

On the way back to my room, I passed by the outdoor garden. It was looking far better with the advance of spring. The fields of white snow had been restored back to fields of green grass, and where once there were blooms of icicles there were now blooms of flowers. This was due in no small part due to the gardener and the hard work he put in day after day.

In fact he was still there despite the fact the sun had set a long time ago.

"Good evening. You're working late today," I called out. The garden was illuminated only by the lamps and the overflow of light which spilled out from the windows around the area. It cast the entire area in an unearthly glow, muting the vibrancy the courtyard showed in the daylight. It caused the select few flowers which still blazed with color to pop out that much stronger.

"Oh, Undine-chan. Good evening. Yeah, I kind of got caught up with with what I was doing."

"I completely understand." I had lost count of the number of times I had become entranced with the beauty of a place, or with the feel of the wind on my face and the water under my gondola, or with the flow of the people surrounding me. It was a good thing there were so many good restaurants around Neo Venezia so I could always find something to eat no matter where I was when I got hungry. "Thanks for all your hard work."

"You too, Undine-chan."

I continued onward. The carpet still felt lush under my feet. When I stomped down I could hear the muffled padded thumps, and when I walked more normally I hear the more ordinary swishes of my shoes on the fabric below. If I tiptoed I could move almost silently. My very footsteps had become a musical instrument as I walked through the hallways.

Onward to the residential portion of Orange Planet. This was the busiest time of the day there. Different clusters of Pairs and Singles were gathering together for whatever games and parties were scheduled for today. There were pairs and trios of people walking in corridors between dorm rooms, and they rarely gave me a second look except to move enough to avoid collisions. Everybody mostly kept to themselves in the corridors as they went from room to room. That was where the interesting things happened. Inside the rooms. Not outside, in the corridors, where you could interact with somebody you didn't already know.

Outside a window I could see the skyline of Neo Venezia. The glass acted like a dim mirror, reflecting a translucent image of myself in front of all of the speckled darkness outside. It looked like I was transposed on the entire city. I was like Akari of Neo Venezia. It was a bit presumptuous of me to think that today, but one day I hoped I would be good enough to represent Neo Venezia to any tourist who came.

"I'm home," I announced as I pushed open the door to my room. Not that I expected a response. Adriana either wouldn't be around, in which case I was announcing to an empty room, or she would be around, in which case she would continue to ignore me.

"There you are. Finally. Where have you been?" Adriana sprang off of her bed. Some magazines negligently flopped down on the bed in her wake. She landed on some other magazines on the floor.

"Hahii?" I froze in the door with my hand still on the doorknob. I hadn't expected that reaction at all. I had expected Adriana to ignore me. Barring that, maybe she would have given me a more traditional "welcome back" response. I never would have guessed that my roommate would almost attack me upon entering.

"Don't just stand there. Get in here. I've been waiting for you all day."

That had been my intention. It's why I had come back to my room, after all. Adriana's reaction did give me pause, but not really enough to affect anything. It was a moot point, though. Adriana grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room.

"What is it?" I asked. The door shut behind us both with a muffled sigh. We were left alone in the room. Like every night.

"How did you get promoted to be a Single?"

Not this again. This had been what had instigated the silent treatment in the first place, all those months ago. "Ariel-senpai was the one who promoted me."

"I know that. I meant what did you do to get her to promote you? Did you need to get somebody to sponsor you? Was there a test? What did you do?"

"It's supposed to be a secret." Ariel had made that clear, on that day in the Land of Hope with the setting sun and the expansive view across all of Neo Venezia. The trip had been magical, including the trip back home. The return had been much easier, going down with the flow of water helping me. I had been euphoric after the promotion, and the relaxing return to Orange Planet had added just as much to the moment as the lead up to it had.

"I don't care! I have a big problem," Ariel said. "They're telling me that I've been a Pair for too long. They're saying that they're firing me and I need to leave Orange Planet. This is going to be my last week here."

I gasped. Being forced to leave Orange Planet. That would be an absolute nightmare. I asked, "They? Who is 'they?' Have you talked to Ariel-senpai about it?"

"Yes! She's the one who told me. She says I'm not ready to be a Single and I'll never be. She won't tell me anything else. You know how strict she is," Adriana said. I actually didn't think Ariel was that bad, and I was certain she wasn't as bad as Adriana, April, and Ashley always said. "I need to prove to her I can be a Single. I'm sure I'm ready. If you did it, I know I can do it as well."

What a dilemma. What a pinch. I wasn't sure what to do. I knew I shouldn't tell anybody, but by the same token I didn't want Adriana to be kicked out of Orange Planet either. We hadn't been as close as we could have been, but I knew how much it would affect me if I couldn't be an Undine anymore. I went back and forth and back and forth.

"Akari-chan!"

I made my decision. It was traditional to not tell Pairs about the Land of Hope, but as far as I knew there wasn't an explicit rule about it. It was at least semi-common knowledge among the people of Neo Venezia, judging from all of the people who had wished me good luck during my journey up the canal. Maybe it was only the Pairs who didn't know.

"Okay. The secret is you need to row to the top of the Land of Hope. That's where Pairs go to become Singles."

"Land of Hope? Where's that?"

"I mean... uhh..." Now that I thought about it, did the place have a formal name? It must have one. It was a popular tourist destination. I just had never learned it. That was something I planned to fix the next time I passed the large map in the lobby of Orange Planet. Irrespective of that, I continued, "It's this big hill way out to the east of Neo Venezia. Come here. You can see it this way."

I led Adriana out of the room and to the hallway where there was a better view.

The outside of our room was quiet. There were a couple of people wandering about and doing whatever had tempted them out of the comfort of their own rooms. They kept to themselves, much as Adriana and I did.

I pulled Adriana over to a large window and said, "Look there. See those windmills way out there?" It was dark outside, but the silhouettes of the windmills could still be seen in the sparkles of light as they diligently did their duty in the slight evening breeze.

"No. Where?" Adriana asked.

"Over there? See? There's this small hill right there."

"Yeah."

"Then behind it is that other hill."

"If you say so."

"And then behind that is the Land of Hope. You see those shadows spinning way up there?"

"What? That far? That'll take all day," Adriana said.

"Hahii. It took me and Ariel all day to get there."

* * *

Another morning. Another typical morning, for me at least. I went to the cafeteria for some breakfast, only pausing to check the horoscope as I typically did. My horoscope for the day was, "Expect change in the form of birds. Your lucky color today is white." I wasn't sure what to think of that one, but I was wearing my white uniform so things were already off to a good start.

"Good morning, Gardener-san," I called out as I passed by. He was there, bright and early in the morning. He clothes were clean so it was clear he hadn't spent the night working, but it was equally clear he was just as eager to get to work as I was to get back onto a gondola and go out on the water in Neo Venezia again.

"Good morning, Undine-chan," he said back. The song birds of Neo Venezia stood hidden in the trees, but they were well within hearing range. They had long since woken up and their conversation provided a flavorful backdrop to our own conversation.

We got into a brief discussion about family, and vacation plans, and the upcoming festival of lights, and generally nothing in particular. People bustled around the corridor, moving around where I stood as they went here and there. It was a regular occurrence. I'd get to be talking to somebody or exploring the area or what have you. Meanwhile everybody else hurried about doing whatever they were to do. It kind of reminded me of Manhome. It wasn't bad. It was just different than my pace.

Unfortunately I had to cut our chat short as I needed to hurry up to my morning meeting with Ariel. I wasn't late yet, but if we kept talking I would have been. I had no desire to be scolded again. I lightly skipped on my way, eager for the day to begin. I wondered what I would do this day in the city. The conversation with Adriana the night before had reminded me, and according to Ariel the Land of Hope was a popular tourist destination. Maybe I would go see it again and see how spring had treated the site and the view.

I reached dock with a bit of time to spare. Adriana was there. She had left the room after me but still beat me to the weekly meeting. April and Ashley were there too. I was just in time. I could see Ariel coming in to the dock at the same time I was.

"Morning, everybody. A couple of announcements. We have our annual performance reviews coming up soon. This primarily affects Primas, but it affects part-time Undines like you, Akari-chan, so you are going to need to write some objectives for this coming year. I'll give you some examples later. Pairs don't need to do anything formally, but you should probably start thinking of what you want to do for this coming year too," Ariel said.

That was the first I had heard about any review process, annual or otherwise. I was more than a bit concerned about it, but if there were examples or something which Ariel would give then that made me feel a bit better. I assumed she would come and talk to me after the meeting, or later, sometime. Hopefully it wouldn't be anything to get too concerned about. Ariel said she would help, and that made things a lot easier in my mind.

"Besides that, they'll be doing the big spring cleaning of all of the gondolas today. All of the Pairs and Singles are expected to help out." That was right. The man who watched the gondolas had mentioned something about that a few days earlier. "Go see Albert-san over there after we're done here. He'll be coordinating the activity." There was already a large line of people over near the booth along the side of the room. The line was growing as we spoke.

I wouldn't be able to go into Neo Venezia after all, but that was okay. This was something exciting to do as well. I rarely got to see the gondolas outside of the water. The last time I had done so was the last time we had cleaned them, months ago. I hoped to get to be able to work on my gondola for this cleaning too. I was eager to see how it had changed over the months from my rowing. I could see the visible part of the boat above the water line every day. However, much like Neo Venezia, there was also a whole other side of it hidden below sight to everybody except those who knew about it. They weren't secrets as such. It was just the bits nobody talked about because they are so commonplace as to be taken for granted. It was like an Undine, with our forms, processes, and schedules. It was like Orange Planet, with its hidden army of chefs, cleaners, accountants, and everybody else.

"Ariel-senpai, I going to go rowing with you today," Adriana cut in. "I going to prove to you that I'm ready to be a Single."

"Weren't you paying attention. All of the practice gondolas are undergoing maintenance today," Ariel said.

"Then we can take one of the white gondolas," Adriana said. "I can row to the Land of Hope. I know I can do it."

"I have customers. I can't go with you today," Ariel said.

"Then cancel them. There has to be a way, this is important," Adriana said.

"Adriana-chan, we can talk about that later, after the meeting," Ariel answered.

"No. I know I'm ready. It has to be today. You know why," Adriana said.

"You want to talk about it now? Fine," Ariel answered. "Frankly, no, you aren't good enough to make it. What's the farthest you've rowed? Two, maybe three laps around the harbor? Just because I'm not here, don't think I don't know how you are always leaving practice as soon as you can. I doubt you'd be able to even get out of Neo Venezia proper before you hands were all blistered. And another thing. We can't go. I have customers scheduled today. Did you stop to think about that? The most important thing for an Undine is the customer, and you want me to ignore them? The practice gondolas need to be cleaned, too. Were you just going to rely on Akari-chan to do that? She would do it for you, but that's why she's a Single and you aren't. An Undine needs to put others first, something you don't do. You have a bad attitude and you don't have the abilities either. You'll never be an Undine. Give up. Find something else to do with your life."

The aftermath of Ariel's tirade pressed heavily from all sides. All was silent for what seemed like forever. I had never heard Ariel go like that against anybody.

"Now that that's settled, we all have work to do. You four, go report to Albert-san. I need to meet my morning appointment."

Ariel strode out of the area. Her footsteps sounded unusually loud against the stone. In the background the clamor of footstep, wooden knocking, harsh scraping, and flowing water all only slowly faded back in.

"Are you okay?" April was the one who said the words. It could have been any of us. I was worried. Ashley was worried. We were all worried.

"I'm..." Adriana's voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. We should get going. Those gondolas aren't going to clean themselves, right?"

"R..Right."

The four of us made our way to the end of what could be best described as a huddle around Albert. The world continued on, ignoring the little drama which had just played out in Ariel's group. Various Pairs and Singles were jostling for attention while Albert repeated over and over where people could locate the gondolas and what they should be doing to them.

"Scrape off the barnacles! Don't scratch the wood!"

"Wash the bottoms! Don't forget to use the soap!"

"Wax the bottoms! Supplies can be found over there!"

"Akari-senpai?"

That last line hadn't been from Albert. I turned towards the girl who had called out my name. "Alice-chan! I guess you're here to clean the gondolas too?"

"That's right. It's hugely annoying, isn't it?"

"You know Alice-san? How do you know Alice-san?" Ashley asked.

"Hahii? I don't know. We just sort of met."

"Who are these people?" Alice asked.

"This is Adriana-chan, April-chan, and Ashley-chan," I introduced each of the three of them in turn. "They're the other three Undines under Ariel-senpai."

"Aww... you're so lucky to have Siren be your Prima. How is it to have one of the Three Water Fairies as your mentor? Is she as elegant as I've heard?" April asked.

"Is she as nice as I've heard?" Ashley asked.

"Is she as great as I've heard?" April asked.

"She's hugely annoying."

My jaw dropped at Alice's answer. I don't think I had ever heard anybody criticize their Prima as generically and as bluntly as that before. The others in my group were similarly slack-jawed at Alice's description of one of the three best Undines in Neo Venezia.

"You five. You can find some gondolas... over near the entrance tunnel," Albert instructed us. Somehow Alice had ended up joining my group, but that was a good thing in my opinion. We all woodenly walked over to where Albert directed us to find several gondolas standing up on some risers.

"Annoying? How is she annoying?" I asked. My interactions with Athena were far more limited than my interactions with Alice. However from what I had seen of her, Athena seemed like a good person.

"She's always making messes and forgetting things. She's really clumsy and scatter-brained."

My mouth dropped open again. Alice's description didn't match my own experiences with Athena. From my perspective, she was a kindhearted woman who helped everybody she met. Nor did Alice's description match the generally accepted opinion of Siren. Much like the other two Water Fairies, Sire was a living legend. Her singing was so good that it could almost stop time, enrapturing everybody in earshot. Nowhere had I heard any talk of a clumsy, scatter-brained woman.

"But you're still lucky. Athena-sama wouldn't fire somebody, would she?" Adriana asked. "She isn't mean, like Ariel-senpai. You're still lucky. I'd rather have a clumsy scatter-brained Prima than Ariel-senpai. She's never around, and she is always ignoring us."

"Ariel-senpai gives us as much time as she can. She's really busy," I said.

"I wish Athena-sama was busy like that. I'm the only trainee she has," Alice said.

"You're the only one? Lucky for you. I guess the rising star of the Undine world gets a lot of exceptions," Adriana said. "You get to be a Pair despite still being in school. You get one of the Three Water Fairies as your Prima. You get all the breaks."

I was taken aback by the bluntness and hostility of Adriana. A definite pallor fell on the group. A stony mask of impassivity fell over Alice's face.

"You're hugely annoying too," Alice said.

Ashley and April looked like they were going to join in, but Alice's declaration was enough to deter them.

It was a good thing that I had done a gondola cleaning in the past so already knew what to do. Everybody was mostly silent after that exchange. Alice and Adriana both had sour looks on their faces. Ashley and April looked liked they wanted to be anywhere but here. The bad mood weighed on me as well. Everybody was tense. Cleaning the gondolas was not very fun at all.

We completed our job faster than I remember the last time I had cleaned. Alice was just as proficient at gondola maintenance as she was with rowing, and having an extra pair of hands helped a great deal. It was for the best, too. The entire experience was uncomfortable. Even if it was faster, it still felt like a small eternity before we were done.

I was thankful when it was over and I could once again row out into Neo Venezia in the afternoon.

* * *

Another morning. It could have been the same as any other morning, except it wasn't. It was the day Adriana would be leaving Orange Planet. Despite the monumental importance of the day, it started the same as every other one. I was awake and dressed while Adriana was still lounging around in her bed asleep. There hadn't even been a hint of packing the night before. It could have been the same as any other morning, except I knew better.

I left as silently as I always did. It may have been Adriana's last day, but she was still sleeping in. The same as yesterday. The same as every day. I wondered if she would wake up at all without a morning meeting to force her out of bed. Maybe she would still be there when I got home in the evening. The thought made me giggle. It was a nervous laughter to fight against the tense emotions I felt.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. I exchanged a couple of pleasantries with the chef, as I always did when I saw him. I cut them a bit short today. I was particularly struck with what was happening to Adriana, and it made it hard to think or act on anything else. Likewise I only exchanged a brief hello with the mail room clerk when I passed him in the hallway.

Before I knew it I found myself waiting in the dock for Ariel to arrive. I was early. Very early. The morning sun had was just peeking over the buildings on the horizon, dancing around as it found the long shadows on the ground and kindly asked them to recede.

The harbor master was out today. He was visiting his son on Manhome, from what I remembered of him telling me. In his place was somebody else. I had seen him from time to time before. I'm sure I would normally have talked to him and passed the time away until Ariel would call out to me and summon me late to our meeting. But I wasn't in the mood today. Everything just felt heavier than normal. The harbor shimmered with the reflected orange sunlight like a mirage in the desert, but the air itself felt dark.

I took a seat on one of the benches which lined the side of the water. It still hadn't fully warmed up. The stone seat carried the hint of nighttime on it. That coolness evaporated after a few seconds. I tried to relax in the brisk, musty, fresh morning air.

"Akari-chan."

"Hahii?" I looked around for who had called my name. I must have spaced out. I hadn't noticed the other Undines arriving to the harbor. They bustled about, conducting their business as if it were any other day. Like things hadn't changed forever. From their perspective, it probably hadn't.

Ariel was walking close to me. It gave me a brief moment of panic as I thought I was late again.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Ariel-senpai."

"I have a question for you. Were you the one who told Adriana-chan about the Land of Hope?"

Of all the things to ask. It really wasn't that good a time for me. Adriana's imminent departure was still top of mind for me. Our relationship might not have been great, but I still hated to see anybody have their dream crushed like that. Ariel's question was just poking at the wound and further upset me.

"I was," I said. I hoped the conversation would be a short one.

"I see," Ariel said. "I'll have to ask you to not do that again. It's important that the Pairs not find out about the promotion process."

And things just got worse. I already felt bad about Adriana. To be scolded on top of that was terrible.

"I'm sorry," I said. I had known I probably shouldn't have told her back when I had. "Its just that she was all worried about being laid off, and she thought... I thought..." I choked up and couldn't continue.

"You thought that if she could pass the test she could stay?"

"Hahii."

"I understand. I can sympathize, but it isn't that easy. It's never easy to get rid of somebody, but Adriana-chan simply couldn't make it to being a Prima, or even being a Single. It's hard, but we're all employees of Orange Planet, and the company needs everybody to contribute. We can't have people who are Pairs for forever stay with us. Do you know how the system all works?"

"No," I said.

"Pairs are actually money sinks to Orange Planet. They do some odd errands here and there, but their main use is to serve as a pipeline until they can be promoted to Singles. A Single, like you, more or less pays for herself by working on things like the traghetto. It's not that much, but it's enough for the company to break even. It's only when an Undine becomes a Prima that she actually start earning money for the company, and even then it's still hard. We try to be a big family at Orange Planet, but in the end, business is business."

"Hahii." It made sense, in a fashion. Prioritizing efficiency, money first, doing things with mechanical precision. Orange Planet would have been right at home in any city on Manhome. But what a depressing way of looking at people and the world.

* * *

Spending the day drifting around Neo Venezia helped a lot. I still felt weird about Adriana and her situation, not to mention the scolding from Ariel. But Neo Venezia was there. The city was always there, like a comforting friend. Always dependable. Always understanding.

For a few moments I managed to forget the unsettling fact that Adriana would be leaving this day. The splashing of the water along the side of the gondola was matched by the picturesque cobblestone streets I rowed past. Both were so similar, in a way. Much like the wavy water, the stony street made me bob up and down as I either traveled over it. It made each step, much like each stroke of my oar, a deliberate motion. It added charming atmosphere at the cost of economic efficiency. Cobblestone hadn't survived life on Manhome. Progress had taken its toll there. Neo Venezia remained eternal, as it was last year, as it was was a hundred years ago, as Venice had been 300 year ago.

I preferred it that way.

Likewise the people. Friendly hellos and how do you dos and where are you off to todays and goodbyes. It was a semblance of normalcy compared to a world which had been turned upside down in Orange Planet. It was enough to let me forget my worries and just live in the moment.

The day ended as it started. As I returned to Orange Planet, the surreal eternity of Neo Venezia drifted away and the hard reality of Orange Planet came back into focus just as quickly as the building did. It was bright and the lanterns were unmissable in the darkness which surrounded me. I had stayed out as long as I could, long after sunset. I didn't want to go back. I never wanted to return, but today I especially didn't want to go back. But I couldn't stay out in the mystic Neo Venezia forever. I knew that I had to return to reality eventually.

I docked the gondola as deliberately as I always did, trying to sneak a couple more minutes or seconds on the water. The dream had to end eventually, but there was no reason to rush. The biggest consolation would be that I could return to Neo Venezia tomorrow and the day after, and maybe forever, as long as Orange Planet didn't lay me off as well.

It wasn't just me, either. There were several Primas coming and going as well. It didn't surprise me that much. It was more common for the best Primas to come back long after sunset than to arrive at any sort of regular hour. The customer came first, as had been emphasized time and again by Ariel and everybody else in the company. As long as the sun was in the sky, there would be tourists who wanted to see the city with the most popular Primas.

I didn't see the harbor master anywhere. His absence stood out to me. True I had arrived very late, long past dinner, but I was used to seeing the man here no matter when I left or when I arrived. However the normal old man was out, and his replacement was nowhere to be seen.

Nor did I see Ariel anywhere. It might have been for the best. I wasn't sure if I would be able to look her in the face after what had happened in the morning, with Adriana being forced out of the company. There were several Prima, but none which I really recognized. Except for one.

"Athena-san?" I called out.

She slowly turned to me. "Ahh... Akari-chan. What are you doing here?"

"I just got back from practice."

"Ahh... Just like Alice-chan. Thanks for being such a good friend for her. What did you two do today?"

"Actually I was on my own today. Some... things... happened..."

Suddenly it felt like more of Athena somehow appeared. She felt more solid. A sharpness had come to her presence and there was more of here there, like a camera which suddenly got the lenses right. She asked, "What happened? Are you okay?" Even her voice sounded crisper. If I hadn't seen it just happen, I would have guessed the person in front of me was Athena's identical twin, not Siren herself.

"I got scolded by Ariel-senpai today."

"Oh no. What happened?"

"I told a Pair about the Land of Hope."

"I'm sure you had a good reason, right?"

"She is... was... my roommate. She's... she's being laid off."

"That's terrible."

"Ariel-senpai said that Adrianna-chan would never be a Single, but that can't be right. Can't we do anything to help her out?"

"That's tough. Life in Orange Planet can be difficult. There's a reason it's grown so quickly. It's a new company, and we're still trying to make waves. That comes with a price. We can't really make exceptions. The company needs to get money somehow, and it isn't like there is unlimited demand for Undines, either. There are just over 300 of us in all of Neo Venezia. It's a hard market. We try to be a big family at Orange Planet, but in the end, business is business."

What Athena said made sense. The numbers all added up. I couldn't find any fault in her reasoning. But it was so calculated. Wasn't there any room for empathy or emotion? I said, "That's so cold."

"It's a hard world. We aren't like a small company. Orange Planet has its policies and procedures. It needs to."

"Does it ever get any better?"

"It doesn't,"Athena said. "If anything, it gets harder the longer you go and the more you are promoted. Imagine how Ariel-san feels about having to give the news to Adriana-chan?"

"Hahii." My heart sank. I hadn't thought of things from that angle. I had been so caught up in feeling bad for Adriana, and myself, that I hadn't thought how hard it would be for Ariel to have to give the news. It couldn't have been easy for her either. If anything, that just made me feel even worse.

Athena was still looking unusually focused, maybe even introspective, when we parted company. It was late and I couldn't waste the time of a Prima, and one who was one of the Three Water Fairies at that, with my petty concerns. I trudged my way back to my room, each step slower and heavier than the previous one. I was hesitant to go back and face that room which I knew to be empty, but I also knew that I had to go back eventually.

"I'm back," I said as I pushed the door open. I didn't expect a response. Ignoring yesterday, I hadn't received a response in months.

Silence greeted me.

Yet still it felt weird. Different. It was uncomfortable in a completely new way. The room stared back in its emptiness. The empty bed stood there to the left, confronting me with its undeniable facts. The entire left side of the room looked abandoned. The doors to Adrianna's closet were hanging half open, with a few coat hangers and a torn magazine cover scattered on the bottom of it. I'm sure cleaning up was the last thing Adriana had had on her mind as she left.

* * *

Last Updated: February 26, 2016


	13. 13: That Intertwined Community…

Chapter 13: That Intertwined Community...

Looks were deceiving. From the climate controlled interior of Orange Planet, Neo Venezia looked entirely ordinary. And in many ways it was. What the image from the wall of windows belied was that it was also sweltering hot.

In contrast, on the traghetto, outside of the pristine building of Orange Planet, it was a brilliant, sweltering, amazing summer day.

My summer uniform was light, but it still felt soggy out in the heat and humidity of Neo Venezia. It was a delirious heat which clung to my skin and made my clothes stick all over.

And yet the breezes when the blew through the watery paths felt positively heavenly. The trees and walls had acquired a highlight and had transformed into sanctuaries against the blazing sun above. In a very real way, the omnipresent heat had emphasized the contrasts and made the ordinary that much better. It was so different than the sanitized homogeneity of Orange Planet where every room was felt identical to the others.

These little slices of paradise in the form of shade were made all the better because I couldn't actually go towards them. The traghetto had a fixed route. This made the sporadic times I could enter the shield of shade that much sweeter. I conspired with Ami to maneuver the two person gondola to the sanctuaries as much as we could. It wasn't a formal agreement, but it just sort of happened as we were rowing. It happened naturally, as could be expected of anybody who spent any amount of time in the hot weather.

Everybody appreciated the slight relief from the sun beating down from above. I did. Ami did. All the passengers on the traghetto did. The tourists going from site to site. The students going home after a long day at school. The residents going wherever they needed to go to do whatever they needed to do. It was universal. It applied to everybody and drew us all together.

It drew almost everybody together. There was one obvious exception. A young man with a white overcoat as brilliantly white as my Orange Planet uniform, only instead of an orange circular pattern in the front there was the symbol for fire written in stark red on the back. Red as vivid, maybe more vivid, than the Hime-Ya uniform's red. He was a Salamander, one of the people who controlled the weather and ensured the city temperature remained like Manhome despite being so much further away to the Sun.

The man looked familiar. I half expected him to call me "Momiko," not that he did. Either he was somebody different or he realized I was somebody different. I wasn't sure which.

It was natural that of course the Salamanders wouldn't have a problem with the heat. They were the fire element of Aqua. It would have been like if an Undine hated the water, or if a Sylph hated flying through the air.

Although now that I thought about it, I didn't know very much about the world of the Salamanders. It was impossible to miss Sylphs as they fluttered through the air delivering their packages. I had seen the underground world of the Gnomes on that day when I had encountered Al and the others. Undines were of course obvious and I was intensely aware of Orange Planet, if not all of their policies and procedures. In contrast to all of them, I knew almost nothing about the Salamanders and the floating islands high in the sky they controlled.

In fact the only two things I knew about Salamanders was that they were the ones in charge of the floating islands high in the sky which prominent featured across the landscape, and that they somehow kept the city and Aqua as a whole at a temperature like Manhome despite Aqua's long distance from the Sun. Both of those facts had been discussed in the tour books, but the books hadn't had any more detail than that.

It was long overdue that I learn more about them.

My eyes kept flicking upward for the remainder of the day, always glancing and seeking and finding the various floating islands. It was amazing how un-noticable they were, until they were noticed. They were in the background, but always in the background. Once I started seeing them, it was impossible to not see them. And they would be positioned in such interesting ways. I piloted the traghetto with Ami I would see one island which appeared to be growing out of a rooftop flower pot based on the angle I was looking from. Or another which appeared to tie two statues together with the chains connecting the island to Neo Venezia below. Another statue appeared to be pushing the floating island away with his hand, which was especially funny because as the traghetto moved it made it appear that the island was drifting away.

Our shift on the traghetto was over and I immediately headed to the nearest tram station. That was the place where people could buy a ticket to go up to the floating islands above. I was half way there before I remembered the problem. I hadn't registered my gondola for practice, nor had I filed this particular practice path into the daily itinerary. They would be expecting me back in Orange Planet directly after my shift with traghetto. Maybe somebody else would need my gondola today, or maybe not. Regardless, it was company policy. I had no choice, no matter how disappointed I was.

I had been chastised enough times in the past. I had no desire to have it happen again. There would be no spontaneous trip today. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow.

It was disappointing, but that was no reason for that to ruin the rest of the day. I could get more practice with rowing on the way back to Orange Planet. I was far enough out of the way that I could take a new way back, too. Nobody could complain as I was going back to Orange Planet like I was supposed to.

The giant map of Neo Venezia which hung in the Orange Planet was firmly in my mind as I turned down one of the side canals. It was one of the quieter ones, and somewhere I had never been before. I had seen it before, of course, from an overhead perspective on the giant map in Orange Planet and in the smaller maps in the various tour books. But I had never seen it in person. It felt so different to be rowing through them as compared to glancing past the overhead view of lines and turns. The small squares transformed into towering buildings and slivers of shadow too small to shelter a small gondola from the blazing sun overhead. And that was saying nothing of the trees and the skyline and the floating islands which floated high in the sky and teased me with their presence. It was easy to follow a map to the left or the right or straight on a piece of paper. It was very different to feel the wide arc of the boat as I pushed against the inertia, or to be forced to duck under some the low tree branches, or being stopped by the low bridge which blocked my way.

Bridge?

There it was. It wasn't big. In fact it was very average, maybe even modest. But it was there, and that was all that mattered. It stood low near to the water, maybe high enough that my gondola could pass under it if I were willing to cut off the small decorations mounted on the front and back of the boat. It was definitely too low for me to sneak under it, even if I were to crouch down as I rowed.

The presence of the bridge wasn't a surprise. I had thoroughly expected it. It was on all of the maps, including the giant one in Orange Planet and the small tour books which were scattered around the city. In fact I double-checked the book which company policy mandated would be in each black gondola. There it was, clearly marked. But it was also marked as being passable. I should have been able to go straight through and end up one canal closer back to Orange Planet. However the high water level made my intended route clearly impossible.

High water. Something about that struck me as familiar. Somehow. There was something. Something about Aqua Alta, when the water floods in and covers the land with ocean, and the city transformed into an underwater wonderland. No, that wasn't it. The sidewalks were clearly dry and visible. But there was something else. It was something about high tide.

And then I remembered what it was. I should have known. Ariel had warned me a few months after I first started at Orange Planet about how the high tides can come in and completely change the waterscape of Neo Venezia. The number of paths would dramatically shrink as the water rose and turned previously easy tunnels into tight fits, and previously tight fits into impassible barriers. It all made sense. It was basic physics. It was also inconvenient.

I think this was the first time it had actually affected me since I had come to Neo Venezia. Somehow a coincidence of timing and paths and everything else had conspired to keep me safe and blissfully unaware of the trap which befell Undines from time to time. That ended this day.

There was nothing to do for it. The path forward was blocked. The map in my hands may have said it was passable, but that did nothing to change the fact that it was in fact blocked. I would need to find another way back home.

I backed out of the unexpected dead end. Ironically this was easier than actually rowing forward. I had been practicing my forward rowing for a year, and for over a two years according to the Manhome calendar, but I been practicing my rowing in the simulators on Manhome for far longer than that. I was still more comfortable with the backwards rowing. Despite the long break I could still deftly maneuver with the best of them. I was back to the last branch in the path in under a minute.

Now, rather than going left I went right. The path was different, but I didn't have a customer waiting for me. My end goal was to get back to Orange Planet, hopefully see something new in Neo Venezia along the way. I had already succeeded in the secondary goal with my new experience of high tide. All that remained was my primary goal. Everything else would just be an extra bonus along the way.

I set off again, the new path to Orange Planet firmly in my mind. The buildings to the left and right of me were just as homely as the ones from before. I saw a window encircled by planters with long flowers bushing up all around them. It was like a picture frame highlighting the resident of the home. On the other side of the canal was a plain metal fence, behind which was an elaborate garden filled with a cluttered beauty as all the different flowers fought for attention.

"Hahii?"

My experience of Neo Venezia was cut short when I was stymied by another low bridge. It stood in my way just as imposing as the previous one had been.

I pulled out that guidebook again, but I already knew what it would say. The map in front of me confirmed there was another bridge there. Supposedly passable. Supposedly.

Rather than back out immediately, I took a moment to glance over the map and do some planning. My eyes and gloved finger traced back and forth and back and forth. By this point every bridge was suspect. None of them were marked as special, and I knew that not every one was impassible. The Bridge of Sighs would be passable even during an Aqua Alta, except for the exact opposite danger of running aground on the sidewalks on the side which would be transformed into hidden shallows. But after running into two blocked bridges in a row, I had grown suspicious of all paths. It was unfortunate that none of the actual high bridges or low bridges were actually marked. I expected a Prima would have them all memorized, but I was still a Single.

I had never realized it before, but Neo Venezia was covered in bridges. It was enough to make me sigh. I knew it, of course, but I hadn't actually realized how many bridges I crossed under as I went about my daily practice. They practically surrounded me. There was no way to get back to Orange Planet without crossing under at least half a dozen of them. It had been a minor miracle that I hadn't run into any of them during my shift on the traghetto, although that was probably more due to careful route planning than to luck.

Bereft of any other ideas, I picked a direction and started to row forward. Normally I would have just enjoyed the landscape, but it was hard to do so with the cloud of worry over my head. I was already somewhat late in getting back to Orange Planet, and it was getting later by the minute. Each dead end I ran into added just a bit more to my worry. I turned back and forth and back and forth. I wasn't lost as such. The mental map in my gondola, not to mention the physical map in the gondola, made sure of that. I knew exactly where I was. But I was lost in the sense that I didn't know how to go anywhere. The very waterways of Neo Venezia had changed underneath me. I wasn't sure what way was what.

By the time I saw the third low bridge in my way I knew something had to change. There had to be a better way of getting back to Orange Planet. I then had a flash of insight. There was a better way, even if Ariel had told me not to. I still wasn't sure what the problem was with asking for directions, and even if it was a problem it had to be better than a lost Single wandering back and forth over the same area over and over.

The local people always knew the local areas better. I was rapidly becoming a local of Neo Venezia, but I wasn't there yet. And there were degrees of locality. I was sure a person who lived in the neighborhood would know it better than any Prima.

High tide did have one unexpected advantage. The high level of the water made it as easier to see than if I had been stuck at the bottom of a deep canal. I still craned my head up and around despite the elevation as I tried to spot somebody. My efforts were more than successful.

"Excuse me," I said. The two boys walking along the path stopped in response. "Do either of you know how to get to Orange Planet?"

"Orange Planet? Isn't that where you're from?"

"Ehehe... The high tide is blocking all the regular ways and I kind of got lost here." My free hand reflexively went to the back of my head and scratched there in embarrassment.

Silence.

The two boys looked at each other. Then back at me. Then at each other. Then back to me. Then at each other.

They broke out in gales of laughter.

"It's not funny. It's really hard," I said. Maybe Ariel's comments about putting the company into disrepute had something to it after all.

"I know. It's not that," the boy gasped out between laughs. "My sister just called and said she got stuck trying to get home too. We're going out to meet her."

"Hahii?" That was an interesting coincidence. "Maybe you two can come on and we can meet her together." I wasn't supposed to bring passengers on board, but this wasn't exactly a tour, and I was sure it would be okay.

The two boys nodded, so I feathered my way gently over to the side of the canal. There weren't any protective tires or pads or anything so any impact against the rock would likely leave a mark on my gondola. When I got close to the edge, closer than it seemed like I should need to, I stepped over to straddle the water. Even with my extra caution I almost didn't make it. The gondola slid backwards against my motions with almost no resistance, and the tiny sliver of water separating me from the land expanded to be much wider than it had started. I was left precariously teetering for a few moments before I was able to regain my balance and more firmly bring things under control.

Thunk.

The front of the gondola bumped into the wall. It would certainly leave a mark on the paint. It was moving slowly enough that I expected it would only be a light scuff on the paint. Still I felt as guilty as the last time I had accidentally dinged the gondola, and the time before that, and the time before that, every other time I had accidentally hit something. I gave a silent apology to the gondola before addressing the two boys.

"Please," I invited them on board. I held the gondola as steady as I could while reaching out my hand to them, as if they were customers.

They took my hand as they boarded one at a time. They moved with the decisiveness and surefootedness of native Neo Venezians who had grown up around gondolas their whole life. It was far from the loose and slippery carelessness of the average tourist. It was for the best, seeing how the gondola wasn't that secured and I wasn't sure I was prepared to actually help a real tourist board a gondola in such a way.

Everything became much easier after that point. The two boys' directions made getting out of the unexpected maze just as easy as getting in to it had been in the first place had been. It was a fast thing to find the boys' sister, who was just as lost as I had been. Much like the boys earlier, the two of us shared some friendly words and a laugh at how similar our two situations had turned out. We easily swapped passengers, and then we parted company with some last minute directions how to get back to Canal Grande.

There were numerous ways to return to Orange Planet from the main thoroughfare of Neo Venezia. Some were more picturesque than others. Some were more traveled than others. Some were places I had never seen before.

I decided to take no more chances. It would only be the most common, most frequented, most basic path for me to return home. I would save my exploring for another day, when I wasn't so far behind schedule, and the water wasn't so high, and when I had remembered to properly file an appropriate trip plan before hand. That could not be this day.

It took several me turns, but the ending was in sight. I made sure to stick to only the most obvious paths. Even then I grew nervous with ever bridge I passed. Even when I saw boats, including large motorized ones carrying dozens of people, make the same turn I was about to my throat still caught a bit before I made the turn myself and confirmed a potential blockage was passable.

"Ara, ara. Is that you, Akari-chan?"

"Hahii?" I turned back and forth to see who had called my name. I thought I recognized the voice. My eyes confirmed I had it right. "Alicia-san. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon to you too. Where are you off to today?"

"I'm trying to get back to Orange Planet."

"Ufufu," Alicia giggled. It sounded so gentle and genuine that it wasn't possible to imagine her ever offending somebody with it. "You can't get to Orange Planet that way. The high tide is in and the bridge that way is too low."

"Haaa..." I muttered in despair. Home was only three turns away. I thought I had finally made it. But if anybody knew the waterways of Neo Venezia, it would be a Prima. And not just any Prima, Alicia was one of the Three Water Fairies, the three legendary Undine which everybody else strived to match.

"I can show you how to get back to Orange Planet."

"Really? Are you sure it's okay? Aren't you busy?" I wasn't sure, but I saw how busy the Primas of Orange Planet were. One of the Three Water Fairies must have had it that much harder.

"It's okay. I have some time off. I'm taking a break for lunch."

"Thank you very much."

I fell in line behind Alicia and her sparkling white gondola. It glistened and glittered in the sunlight, somehow more white and more dazzling than the other white gondolas around the city. Not only that, the entire boat seemed to float with a surreal grace incomparable to all other gondolas I had seen, including Ariel's and Athena's. Alicia glided through the wake of boats with barely a notice, while the same waves caused me to toss back and forth uncomfortably. Alicia effortlessly eased around corners that I had to ponderously lumber around.

"You're originally from Manhome, right?"

"Hahii. If we were on Manhome, I would have been well into my third year in Neo Venezia," It felt longer. It was longer. I paused as a sudden funny thought struck me, in light of the much longer year of Aqua. "I just realized that in a way the people on Manhome live to be twice as long as the people on Aqua do. I guess I sacrificed a lot to move to Neo Venezia."

"Ufufu," Alicia giggled again. "How do you like the city?"

"Hahii." It was such a broad question that I wasn't sure where even to start. "It's really good here." I had never come up with a good standard explanation of what I thought about the city, despite the number of times I had been asked about it. "Everybody here is so much more relaxed. It's easy to meet the person who made your food, and talk to everybody you run into. And I can spend all of my time rowing. I love being an Undine. I can spend all my time on the water, and there are all of the things to see. Did you know I had never seen a blue sky before I had come to Aqua? It's more beautiful than I had imagined. I can't wait to show it all off to other visitors from Manhome."

"Ara ara. You really do love Neo Venezia, don't you?"

"I love it," I emphatically declared.

The expansive facing of Orange Planet was now in sight. Never before had the sight been so welcome to me. It was a welcome miracle I had met Alicia. I wasn't sure how I would have made it back without her help. All of the tension I had been feeling melted away. There was now nothing preventing me from returning safe and intact, minus some paint scrapings from the side of my gondola.

"Sorry," I whispered quietly to the boat below me. I could imagine a voice saying that it was okay.

"Well, here you are," Alicia said. "Give my regards to Athena-chan."

"That's right. You're friends with her. Are you sure you don't want to come in and see her?" I asked. I wasn't sure what the policy was for inviting guests to Orange Planet, but I was sure it would be all right.

"I can't. I have an appointment this afternoon, and Athena-chan would be out with her appointments anyway."

Primas were always busy, but I hadn't fully appreciated what that could mean. Friends who were so close but unable to actually meet because of scheduling demands. It made me a bit sad.

"Thanks for your help. See you later," I said to Alicia as she turned around and left. It was amazing that such a person existed. She was so great and so busy, but she still took the time to help me find my way back to Orange Planet. It was incredible.

I was still feeling somewhat introspective as I rowed my way into Orange Planet. From what I could tell, becoming a Prima was actually very much like my trip from Manhome to Aqua. I had joked earlier that I had sacrificed a lot, but it wasn't actually a joke. My life may not be shorter, but I had had to say goodbye to countless people to make the trip. I still mailed them, but it wasn't the same. It would never be the same. Becoming a Prima would probably be the same thing. In order to pursue my dreams, sacrifices would always need to be made.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? You were supposed to be back an hour ago." The voice snapped me out of my introspective haze. I looked up to the Single who was standing on the dock looking down at me. She had her arms crossed in front of her and she was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sorry. It was high tide and the bridges were all too low and I got lost coming back." My arms moved here and there as I spoke, emoting out the various actions and feelings I had.

"Never mind. Just give me that. I'm already late enough as it is."

We swapped positions. It was far more complicated a maneuver than could be hoped for. I held the gondola steady for her as she mounted, and she had to hold it steady for me as I dismounted. It was about as difficult as me helping those two boys board earlier, albeit with less risk. The soft wooden dock couldn't do anything to the gondola paint short of an intentional collision.

I handed her the oar, and without another word the Single paddled off.

"Akari-chan, wasn't it?" I turned to look at the voice. It was the temporary replacement for the old man who watched the harbor. "You're late."

"I'm sorry." I apologized yet again. I had lost count of the number of times I had been scolded.

"What's your company ID number?"

"Hahii?"

"I need it for this report."

My heart managed to fall a bit more. I said, "But it's not my fault. It was high tide, and all the canals came up, and all the bridges got in my way."

"It doesn't matter. You didn't follow the schedule you set up."

"Can't you just let it slide by?" I asked. For all of his warnings, the old man who usually watched the harbor had never actually written me up.

"No. It's company policy. If I did that then I'd be the one who got in trouble. So what's your ID number?"

I had a heavy heart as I gave the number. I could imagine what would happen next. I would get a nasty mail from somebody in the office, and maybe Ariel would come and have a stern word with me. I already felt penitent, and it wasn't even my fault. I had tried to come back early, or at least on time, but the high tide had kept me away. It wasn't fair.

I slowly trudged my way out of the harbor. As I did so, I couldn't help but notice the lines of gondolas still docked there. They were even black gondolas. It made me wonder why that Single had been waiting for my particular gondola. Why couldn't she have just taken a different one? For that matter, why it was such a big problem for me to have come back a bit late? There was no shortage of practice gondolas. I just didn't understand any of it.

It was with some trepidation that I checked my mail. But my mailbox was empty. Both the physical one in the mail room and the digital one on my computer. My worry was a bit silly, to be honest. It was too soon for the reprimand to have arrived, but I had no doubt that it would come by the next day.

My room was empty as well. Adriana's place was just as empty as it had been for the past several weeks. I wasn't sure what the procedure was for when I would get a new roommate. I wasn't even sure if I would get a new roommate. I was fairly sure I would. I didn't know a single Undine who was by herself. It wasn't exactly the subject of everyday conversation, but certainly at least one of the numerous people I was acquainted with would have said something at some point.

I didn't have a gondola anymore, but that didn't mean I had to waste the entire day in my room. There were things to do. I could go out into Neo Venezia on foot, which was exactly what I intended to do. I knew most of the area within walking distance of Orange Planet, but there was always some new nook or cranny to discover.

Before I did that, I made sure to schedule my upcoming trip to the floating islands. I had no desire to need to wait yet longer to visit one.

My walk into the city was as special as I had expected it to be. I saw a tree which was kissing a building, and a fountain which looked like it had grown out of the ground like a bush. The flowers in the area had disappeared, replaced by a verdant lushness which rivaled the most detailed documentaries on Manhome. I got distracted by the wonder of what would be behind the next turn. It was enough to make me forget about my upcoming scolding and enjoy the beauty of Neo Venezia all around me. I loved the city. It was always there for me whenever I needed it.

The sunlight lasted forever, and in fact it was still hanging in the sky by a thread when I returned to Orange Planet. Reality came rushing back to me when the large building with its distinctive profile came into view, and only increased upon entering the building itself.

Once again the halls were quiet except for the occasional Prima returning for the day. Once again the building had prepared for a brief respite before everything would begin anew bright and early tomorrow morning. Summer was a time of long gondola rides in the day and romantic evenings walks under the warm starlight at night.

On the walk to my room, somebody appeared from around the corner in my way without any warning. There was nothing I could do but to collide.

"I'm sorry," I said hastily. I rubbed the soreness on my nose as I spoke.

There was no response. There was nobody in front of me. I looked around, and then down, which is when I spotted her. It was an Undine. It was Athena. She had been knocked to the ground, flat on her back. The plush carpeting of Orange Planet did more than muffle the clacking of boots on the floor. It also provided an impromptu landing pad which cushioned falling Primas.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Huaa?" Athena stared past me in apparent confusion. She picked herself up with the lethargy of a stunned sloth.

"Welcome back. You're back early today," I said. Usually Athena was out later than most Prima due to her popularity. It was only 7:00 in the evening, which was late enough but far from the 9:00 or 10:00 that the most popular of Primas would frequently have scheduled. This included Athena.

"Sorry."

"Hahii? I didn't mean that as an accusation. I'm sorry. I meant that... I mean... How did your day go?" I had met Athena a few times over the past few months. My semi-regular practice with Alice had made that a certainty. During that time I had discovered that Alice hadn't been lying. Conversing with Athena was a huge hassle, as Alice had put it. She just seemed slightly out of focus all the time.

Athena looked to the side, then looked up. She had a look of concentration on her face. The pause extended longer and longer as Athena thought more and more about the normally casual question of how her day went.

After an exceptionally long pause she said, "It was okay." I felt my mouth drop open in reaction. After all of that build-up I had expected a deep and thoughtful response. She in turn asked me, "How did your day go? Did you have fun with Alice-chan again today? Thank you for being such a good friend for her."

It didn't take me nearly as long as Athena to answer, "It was okay. I wasn't able to practice with Alice-chan. She had school today." My face naturally turned to a frown as I thought back of what had happened. "I returned my gondola late again today, and the harbor master wrote me up." I couldn't help but imagine Ariel would be scolding me again soon. And there would be the message from Human Resources. It was enough to depress anybody.

"It's important to be on time."

"I know. It's not like it was on purpose. I got stuck with the high tides and couldn't get back."

"I agree. High tide is hard. I get lost all the time too."

"Primas get lost too?" I asked. It made me feel better. If Primas got lost then of course a Single would have no chance. Athena wasn't exactly a normal Prima either; she was one of the Three Water Fairies. It made me wonder about Akira, the third Prima known as one of the Three Water Fairies. I didn't know much about her, the so-called Crimson Rose. It was hard to imagine Alicia getting lost, though. "I guess I was lucky that Alicia-san was around to help guide me back to Orange Planet. She told me to tell you 'hi.'"

"You met Alicia-chan today too?"

"Hahii. I ran into her near that tiny park with the giant mural. She helped lead me back here," I said. Alicia was really nice. Time was especially valuable for a Prima and it was very generous of her to have helped me.

"That's good. I was telling her the other day that she should get to know you."

"Hahii?"

"You aren't that happy in Orange Planet, are you?"

I looked up at Athena at the question. For the first time I noticed a sharpness to her. It was like somebody had adjusted the lens and she had come into focus. The floating vapidity around her had evaporated. It somehow felt like there was just more of her there. I didn't know what to make of it.

"I'm fine," I said. My eyes went wandering, unable to face Athena as I answered. It was fine here. Really. I was in Neo Venezia. I was living my dream of being an Undine. What more could I want? The forms, and the processes, and the restrictions, and the shunning of the other Singles and Pairs was a minor price to pay for it. It hadn't exactly been the life I had pictured when I had left Manhome, but I still enjoyed it far more than my life back there.

"You might not know this but Alicia-chan still doesn't have a protegee. It's something to keep in mind."

"You two had mentioned that before," I said, back when I had first found out the two of them had been childhood friends. It did make me wonder why was Athena telling me this, though, unless she thought maybe I would be a good protegee? I started to get excited. Athena was also one of the Three Water Fairies. If she thought that then there had to be a reason. And Athena also mentioned how she had talked to Alicia, and even said how we should get to know each other better. My heart definitely started beating faster and faster. It would be a dream to learn from a Prima as amazing as Snow White. But then the reality of the situation crashed down on me. "But I work for Orange Planet. Alicia-san can't be my Prima."

"You could always leave Orange Planet."

"I couldn't do that. I would feel guilty," I said. It wouldn't feel very fair, to Orange Planet as a whole and especially to Ariel specifically.

"Okay. It's your choice. Just keep it in mind. Good night."

"Good night."

Athena walked away. Even her walk was more sure-footed and with more purpose than normal. It left me behind in confusion.

The thought kept bouncing around in my head all the way back to my room. It would be a dream to have somebody as impossibly perfect as Alicia as my Prima. But I just couldn't go. It was impossible, and impossible was impossible.

My room was just as empty as it had been when I had left in the morning. It was just as empty as the day before. It was just as empty as it had been every day since Adriana had left. I didn't have anybody to wish good night before my head landed on the pillow, with visions of what could have been still filling my imagination.

* * *

The next day was off to a bad start, but it was nothing unexpected. I received the mail I had expected saying that my late return had been noted. It emphasized the importance of punctuality and following the schedule. Ariel made it a point to say the same thing to me in a morning meeting. She seemed a bit more understanding after I explained how I got stuck in high tide, but also said that that was one of the reasons to register a travel plan in advance. I hadn't really thought of it that way.

After that I was free, within reason. I could finally go visit the floating island. The only thing which could have made it better was if Alice could have come with me. But she couldn't. She had school throughout the day. It was a testament to her natural talents that she could be as good as she was despite the handicap on her practice time. Honestly she was better at rowing than I was, and was better than any Single I knew.

I went straight to the tram station which would carry passengers up to the floating island. The whole idea gave me a laugh. The tram to the floating island. The gondola on the water. They were so different, but were so similar. One was an automated vehicle which traveled on a rail through the air. One was a manually controlled vessel which floated on the water around Neo Venezia. Both were means to convey somebody from where they were to their dreams.

The floating tram was as smooth as any ride I had taken with Ariel. The quiet half-filled cabin floated up with barely any sound or feelings of motion. The main indication that we were moving was the station pulling back and the building rooftops below quickly shrinking to the size of a tiny model of the city. I was practically glued to the windows as I craned around trying for a better view of the ever-shrinking Neo Venezia.

The arrival at the destination was as smooth as the rest of the trip. Once again, the only indication that anything was changing was when the walls of the station surrounded and enveloped the gondola.

"Please watch your step when exiting the tram."

I leaped off out of the tram, the first one to go. I could scarcely contain my excitement to see this new part of Neo Venezia. I had been on the land. I had been on the water. I had been under the city. For the first time I would see how the people over the city lived.

We were in the middle of summer, and the stuffy air in the city below was hot. But even compared to the sweaty heat below, the floating island was more. It was as sweltering as compared to Neo Venezia as Neo Venezia itself was as compared to the automatically controlled and predicted perfect summer days of Manhome. I wasn't sure if the large opening to the station was letting more heat out or in.

I ran to the door and through the corridors to the passenger entrance of the station. The wide stone halls and large windows reminded me so much of my first arrival to Neo Venezia, when I had charged through the equally wide corridors and giant windows of Marco Polo Universal Port. The sunlight streamed in and covered everything in a stark contrast from the brilliant light.

This culminated with me erupting from the entrance of the station and out to round viewing platform. Maybe it wasn't technically a viewing platform, but the large area certainly would have served well as one. I was compelled to run forward and stop right next to the stone banister which lined the edge.

A couple of rooftops peeked just in view below, but by far the most prominent feature was the ocean on the surface of Aqua. It stretched as far as the eye could see. Islands dotted the water, causing tiny freckles of darkness to appear within the sparkling sunlight glittering on the dark blue backdrop.

A passing shadow caught my eye and I snapped my head skyward. I had thought we were the highest things in Neo Venezia. In some sense it was true, but not in all senses. I quickly identified the source of the shadow. It was one of the large space ships which ferried people back and forth between Neo Venezia and Manhome. It could have even been the very same space ship I had flown on over a year ago. I could imagine the families and people in the ship looking down in wonder through the transparent cabin below, seeing but not seeing me very much like I could see but not actually see them inside.

I stood there staring for only a couple of minutes. I very much enjoyed the tantalizing hints that the rooftops below me offered. I turned away to enter the city proper and really get to know it.

The first thing which caught my eye upon leaving the tram station was a train station. There was a set of railroad tracks which not only followed the ground but even floated through the air. When the hills slid downward the tracks continued straight, curving through the sky on stilts. That settled it. The first thing I would do would be riding one of the rails on the train.

The train itself was everything I could have hoped for. It looked like an antique engine and passenger trolley from ancient Manhome. If I were on Manhome I would have been sure it was all a facade, with the outside shell masking the latest state-of-the-art automated transportation within. I was on Aqua, though, so I could almost believe it was actually a faithfully recreated train still being operated in the traditional manner. The engineer manning the engine certainly added credence to that possibility.

The trip itself start out remarkably. We steamed forward into the main city. The environment was subtly different to Neo Venezia. It still looked like a medieval town which had been transported to the present untouched by the developments of modernity, but maybe it was a different type of medieval than Neo Venezia. There was the obvious lack of water canals. Beyond that, the alleys and corridors were more narrow, the buildings were taller, and the walls had more small rooms sticking out and presenting non-straight walls. There were sky-bridges at odd angles connecting the higher floors of random buildings. The whole area looked more like it had grown organically than been built according to a plan like Neo Venezia had been.

And then we erupted into the air. The ground fell away and and we were soaring through the air on the tiny trusses supporting the railway. It was so exhilarating that I felt compelled to run to the back door of the passenger car and experience the wind first hand. It was hot enough that even the strong gusts weren't cold. And it was totally worth it. The wide open air felt like I was flying, and I had an expansive view of the entire area around me.

The city in the sky exactly matched my first impression when I had walked out of the tram station, only more so. The buildings arced and turned and had generally looked like a cross between a castle and a floating airship and a medieval town and a colony of mushrooms. I had no doubt that there was a large group of people living here despite the small space.

By far the most interesting and prominent thing I saw above was a giant building of something I couldn't tell near the top of the island. It looked like a cross between an old manufacturing plant and a giant incense bottle. Both halves of the building were billowing out steam or white smoke or something. It dominated the skyline with such force that I was forced to wonder what it was.

That thought made me laugh. The skyline of a sky city.

I turned my attention downward, like I had wanted to for so long. I would finally be able to see a bird's eye view of Neo Venezia.

Half of the landscape below was just the land of the floating island, but the other half showed the blue sea and tiny buildings of Aqua. In contrast to the patchwork of masonry and woodwork above, Neo Venezia below looked surrealistic. It didn't even look like a toy model. It looked closer to the maps in my tour books than a three-dimensional world. It was maybe a hybrid of the two. The lack of any street labels or highlights gave the area an alien look. I hadn't seen Neo Venezia like this since my shuttle had landed over a year ago. Back then everything had been new. But now I couldn't help but feel I should recognize the areas below somehow. And I did in a fashion, but it was more from my constant studying than from my constant experiences in the city itself. I could barely make out the ships and boats drifting around the water below, and I had no chance of seeing individual people.

Except that nothing was moving. They were too small for me to tell what they were, but I could see that the ships, gondolas, boats, or other vessels near the San Marco plaza were still. Outside of the area I could see the various ships, probably mostly gondolas, drifting and floating and moving about. It was only near San Marco that everybody was paralyzed into stillness. At this distance I could only speculate what was going on, but that didn't stop the hauntingly beautiful voice of Athena from playing in my imagination and holding all the people near San Marco in frozen rapture.

The song was still echoing in my head when the train took its final turn and returned back to solid ground, or as solid as anything floating this high in the air could be said to be. It continued on a fairly straight path through the city. We were leaving the area inspired by stucco and entering an area more based on pure stone masonry. The irregular texture of the walls added an extra feeling not present in the flatness of sky-exposed walls earlier.

I continued on for a couple of stops before picking one at random to leave the train. I had needed to register an itinerary with Orange Planet to come to the floating island, but once there I didn't have any specific plans. I was going to just wander around the floating island and see what caught my attention while absorbing as much of the environment as I could.

My growling stomach decided otherwise. It was definitely time for lunch.

The cobblestone streets matched the rough cut stonework on both sides of the road. It was just as atmospheric as the cobblestone streets in Neo Venezia. It was just as impractical too. This wouldn't be seen anywhere on Manhome outside of a theme park. I was thankful that the uniform of Orange Planet included boots. I couldn't imagine the difficulty of trying to traverse the road with high heeled shoes like Hime-ya or some other companies had.

I kept walking. My hunger caused all of the cafes and restaurants to pop out in highlight to my eyes. Places I would only notice in passing were unmissable to me. I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for, so I chose a quiet little cafe to stop by. It was a small, unassuming little store that was neither the busiest one nor completely empty.

Lunch itself was likewise relatively unassuming. I took a seat near one of the large windows and watched pedestrians cross the road between the yellow and white flowers lining the windowsill. I could almost imagine a different style of clothing and a different gait of the inhabitants of the floating island as compared to the city below. There were certainly far fewer tourists, although they were still visible as they walked around pointing at things and taking pictures of whatever struck their fancy.

The owner of the cafe joined me on and off throughout my lunch once it became clear that I was eating on my own. There was enough business such that we couldn't sit down and have a lot discussion, but it was quiet enough that he could dodge away and exchange a few words with me from time to time.

Once my stomach was satisfied I bid my farewells and joined the throng of pedestrians along the cobblestone streets once again. My only destination was to go to the left, away from where I had started and into further unexplored regions.

I found myself climbing a steep hill. It was steeper than any I had seen in Neo Venezia. It was steep enough to be a stairway, missing only the individual steps themselves. Along the side was a large wall which held back the earth on yet a higher slope, keeping the ground safe for the various houses and offices and stores built there.

Near the top of the hill was a small park. I assumed it was a children's playground. There was a swing set and a slide and some indescribable construction which had to have been built for small people to climb in and on and around. If there were any actual children that would have been the final clue to guarantee it.

I peeled off of the main road to cross through the park. There was a metal fence with some benches along the far side of the playground, and I wanted to investigate it.

What the fence guarded was another hill directly below, just as steep and just as climbable as the one I had mounted. I was now the one being supported by the stone walls and solid earth below. That wasn't the most impressive part of the viewing platform, though. I was given another splendid panoramic view of not only of a good portion of the city around me but also of Neo Venezia and the oceans all the way to the horizon.

There was an indulgent breeze from the open air which felt marvelous against my sweaty skin. I decided to take a seat and relax for a while. My stomach was full, and I was feeling a comfortable fuzziness.

San Marco plaza below was once again the bustling place I had expected it to be. The mysterious force which had held all the boats still had vanished, leaving it a swarm of activity. I could trace an individual boat as it made its way here and there, but my eyes instead naturally preferred to take in the entire scene as the clusters ebbed and flowed around the water like speckles of pollen on a lake surface.

I continued to look around, where I knew Fenice Theater or the Doge's Palace or the St. Mark's Basilica had to be. Some of the sites, like the Grand Bridge on the Canal Grande, were clearly visible and much more plain than they appeared in person. Others, like the Bridge of Sighs, were hidden away and I had to imagine what they looked like from above.

The day trickled onward. I split my time between watching the nearby streets, watching the fragments of the town I could see from the viewing platform, and watching the backdrop of Neo Venezia below. Individuals and couples and friends and families would move near and through the park, coming from places unknown and traveling to places unknown. The jocular familiarity of them was just as familiar here as it was on Neo Venezia and as it was on Manhome. People were people no matter where I was.

I spent a good portion of the afternoon people watching. I could imagine the dramatic tension in each person's life as she desperately searched for butter before her house guests would arrive or as he rushed in search of the address for his upcoming big interview. I was sure most, if not all, of my guesses were wrong, but that didn't stop me from thinking of them and enjoying the miniature dramas happening all around me.

Eventually I climbed back to my feet. I was due back in Orange Planet in a few hours and I didn't want to rush or be late. I resumed climbing the hill. I didn't reach the top of it. The road arced around and I wasn't sure where it ended. It could have maybe even reached the very top of the floating island and the strange factory-bottle-shaped building at top. If so I wouldn't have any chance of reaching there and returning in time. I instead turned right at the next intersection and began making my way back to the tram station.

* * *

Last Updated: March 17, 2016


	14. 14: That Journey Home…

Chapter 14: That Journey Home...

"I'm not sure if you noticed, but you have a tour scheduled for tomorrow," Ariel said.

"Hahii?" I froze. I was sure I had misheard Ariel. "No I don't. I'm scheduled to go..." I spent a second trying to remember what I had planned before I gave up "...somewhere."

"Check again. There was a last-minute appointment. Somebody scheduled a tour with you. You have a customer."

"A customer?" The realization slowly made its way through my thought process. "A customer? I have my first customer!" I cheered out to my self. I grabbed my neighbor's arms and started shaking them up and down and up and down in celebration.

April was unimpressed with my gestures. She muttered, "Okay you can stop now." I let her go and turned back to Ariel.

"Where did they want to go? What did they want to do?"

"I don't know. It's up to you. It's your tour. We meet here tomorrow at 8:00."

"Here? Not the passenger pickup area?" I looked around the harbor. There were several other Undines here. Most of them were Pairs, and an occasional Single like me could be seen. I didn't see a single tourist here. In fact, I had never seen a customer here before.

"Yes, here. We need to meet somewhere before we go pick them up." Upon seeing my look of confusion Ariel sighed. "A Single can't give a tour on her own; she needs a Prima to go along and make sure everything goes well. It's unprofessional to meet up at the pickup area, so Undines always meet here in advance so we can go together."

"Oh." I had known about needing to have a Prima to give a tour, but I hadn't known how the Undines met prior to it. Maybe Ariel knew something else I didn't know. "Who is the customer?"

"I don't know. Regardless, it's a lucky opportunity for you. Don't squander it. This could be your only tour before becoming a Prima. Make it count."

"Hahii." I was well aware how rare Single tours were. As per the company instructions, back when I had been a Pair operating the reception area, I had tried countless times to get an customer to sign up to go on a tour with a Single. I had never been successful in convincing even a single guest to change.

Ariel continued the rest of the morning briefing, but I barely paid attention to it. I had no idea what she said to April. If I had to guess, I would have guessed it would have been instructions for her to continue her practice in the harbor, just like always. But that was a guess. I hadn't actually heard what Ariel had said. My head was already full of visions of my upcoming tour. The numerous routes and possibilities teased me from just outside of conscious thought. I had planned countless tours before in joyous pretend, but now that the real opportunity was before me I couldn't think of anything concrete.

I wandered over to the scheduling area in a daze. Posted on the wall was the board detailing where everybody was going to be in the coming week. Just as always. I blinked at it, and then rubbed my eyes. It continued to stare back at me. The writing on the wall refused to change. It was really true. I did have my first customer.

My plans for tomorrow had changed. I couldn't even remember what I had originally planned. The excitement of my first tour had washed it all away. Regardless, replacing the original day plan I had submitted for approval was a new two-hour long tour block. It was matched by an identical two-hour long tour block which was now on Ariel's schedule as well.

It was like a dream come true. No. It was a dream come true. My very first customer. Suddenly all of the practice and studying I had done for so long felt woefully inadequate.

Forget my plans for tomorrow. Forget my plans for today. I had more important things to do. A look at the board showed that I had originally planned to travel to Murano Island. The path there was long and tricky, which made for good practice. The trip had the added benefit of giving me the opportunity to learn more about the glass blowing industry. I had only been there once since that first trip I had taken with Ariel. However, this news changed everything. I had my all-important first tour tomorrow. That was much more important, and much more urgent, to instead spend my time preparing for it.

The excitement was still on my face as I continued to wander back through the plush halls of Orange Planet to my room. My computer and all of my books and maps were there. There wasn't much time left, and I needed every moment I could spare to plan my tour.

I was still a Single, and as a Single I was something between a Pair and a Prima. This extended to giving tours as well. A Prima could, and in fact needed to, provide tours to paying customers. A Pair, ignoring the obvious exception afforded to Alice due to her natural genius, wasn't allowed to even leave the training area of Orange Planet. A Single was somewhere in between. They were expected to operate the traghetto, which weren't a tour as such but did consist of carrying passengers through the city, and they had the very occasional genuine tours like my upcoming one.

These Single tours were also something of a hybrid. They were conducted on black trainee gondolas rather than pristine white ones, and they required a Prima to come along to ensure quality. They were very rare, too. Despite the fact they cost was much less than a Prima's tour, it was rare for a guest to want to explore the city with the less experienced and less knowledgeable Singles.

None of that affected the fact that that I did have a tour and that I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. This would be a once in a lifetime event for the customer, and it had taken a leap of faith to entrust it to a Single. I wanted to make sure that faith had not been misplaced.

My entire thought process derailed when I pushed open the door to my room and came face to face with a strange girl. I was so close that I had almost slammed the door into her face.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized. "Ahh... who are you?"

The girl in question wore a white Undine uniform with the yellow accents unique to Orange Planet. She was decisively taller than me. I think my head ended at the height of her nose. She was also rather chubby. She had a round shape which made her look somewhat like a thin apple. She had short, lanky dark hair cut in a pageboy style. She also had a look of surprise on her face, but that faded quickly to a friendly smile. "That's okay. I'm Lexy. Are you my new roommate?"

"Lexy?" I asked. I paused to tear my thoughts away from the faceless customer I would meet tomorrow and instead focused on the situation in front of me.

There were a few bags and boxes and other stuff on the side of the room which I still thought of as Adrianna's, and which had remained empty for months. They were strewn about in various stages of unpacking. A quick glance out the window showed the time was late morning, which had been about the same time I had completed my paperwork when I had first joined Orange Planet. What cinched it was the large folder of papers sitting on the floor of the room. It was so similar to the large stack of barely-decipherable forms, maps, and guides that had been forcibly handed to me at that time.

My second thought was that it was strange to meet an Undine with a name which didn't start with an "A" sound. It seemed like that long string of coincidences was over. I somehow couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Hahii. I'm Akari Mizunashi. It's nice to meet you," I said.

"It's nice to meet you too." Lexy went back to a box full of crisply folded clothes.

"What brings you to Orange Planet?" I wanted to know more about this new girl who would be my roommate for months, maybe years.

"Same as everybody else, I guess. I needed a job." She shrugged. Lexy didn't bother to look up at me as she continued to unpack her bags, boxes, and trunks. There were several of them. She had far more than I had when I had arrived from Manhome. In fact, she had far more than I had in total after living here for a year. There was casual dresses and books and jewelry and makeup and trinkets and more.

"You just needed a job?" I asked as I took a seat on my bed. I found it hard to think of being an Undine as just a job. It was spectacular. It was incredible. It touched the lives of so many people. It made the world that much more fantastic. How could anybody consider it just a job?

"Yeah. My parents kept bugging me about not going anywhere and they threatened to kick me out of the house. How annoying. Are your parents like that?"

I shook my head. As Lexy wasn't looking at me the effect was lost. It prompted me had to also verbally add, "No, they aren't."

"Lucky you. Anyway, I applied around, and this was the first one I got. I guess the good thing is this place provides room and board. I don't have to listen to my mom nagging me all the time anymore."

"I see." It seemed like there were all sorts of people in the world.

Lexy continued to unpack and didn't say anything else. I waited a few seconds, but Lexy was more preoccupied with getting her stuff in place than chatting with me. I was okay with that. I had a tour to prepare for, after all.

I pulled out some of my well-used tour books and pulled one open. The book flipped open on its own to the creased and familiar page of the map. From there I started planning my trip.

We would start at Orange Planet, of course. From there go past that hidden fountain. It should have been turned on by 8:30. Then to the Canal Grande. But then where? There were so many places to see. There was always St. Marco Square, and the Grand Bridge. Between the two, I liked St. Marco Square more. It was right by the Bridge of Sighs, too. Everybody always made it a point to see the Bridge of Sighs.

I kept a list of each location I considered as I went through my planning. What was special about them? How would they flow together? How were they connected, both by waterways and by history? What path would take my gondola through the city between them? What would I talk about between each site?

As I thought through them I could see each and every location in my mind's eye. The bit which could be seen from which approach. The areas which were highlighted or hidden from each angle. The rehearsed passages from the tour books, the little additions I got from exploring the place and listening to the others in the area, and my own independent investigations of the history of the site. I had lost count of the number of hours I spent lost in some description of the Doge's Palace or the Grand Bridge.

No matter how I looked at it, two hours just wasn't enough time. I could spend the whole time talking about St. Marco Square alone. How could I possibly talk about the entire grandeur of Neo Venezia in such a short amount of time? It would take a lifetime to discover each intimate little secret of the city, and even then I was sure I would only be able to barely scratch the surface.

But that was the role of an Undine. If it were easy, there wouldn't be a job for it. It was my challenge to figure out the best experience for the customer and then provide it. They had entrusted that job to me, and I would meet their faith.

"What are you doing?" Lexy asked. I turned to her voice and found her hovering over my shoulder and looking down at the papers and computer I had in front of me.

"I'm planning a tour for tomorrow. I have my first customer." I couldn't keep the giddiness out of my voice. I was excited. There was no doubt about that.

"A tour? That sounds scary. I hope I don't get one for a while."

I could understand that. It was kind of scary. I had left Manhome because I wanted some job with rowing gondolas. Giving tours was the only one I could find, and the thought of showing strangers the city intimidated me. However since then, having watched and learned about the city and having seen how important being an Undine was for the customers, my love for the profession had grown. I now couldn't wait to join the community of Undines who had actually provided a tour for a real customer, and who had forever impacted the life of a person.

"Don't worry. You'll need to be at least a Single before you can start giving tours."

"A Single? What's that?"

I turned my body to match my head in facing Lexy and explained. I explained about the Pair, Single, and Prima system, and showed my single-gloved hand as demonstration. I talked about the different responsibilities of each level. I mentioned the promotion system. I didn't go into any details about the secret Pair-to-Single promotion test. It felt weird to be the explainer who knew the thing, rather than the ignorant immigrant from Manhome which I typically had been. It was another indication that I was now the senior Undine and was now worthy of the single glove I now wore.

Lexy's reaction was not one I had been expecting. "So it's going to be a long time before I'm expected to do it myself? That's a relief." I found that reaction surprising because I personally couldn't wait to contribute more and more, both to Orange Planet as well as to Neo Venezia.

"That's right. It can take a while to get promoted." April was still a Pair, and she had been since before I had immigrated.

"I hope it takes a long time."

"Don't take too long. After a certain point if you're still a Pair they'll kick you out." Ashley had recently been forced out of the company like Adriana had been a month ago. It had been a very sad day.

Lexy's eyes grew wide. "How long do I have?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's anything official. I think Adriana-chan and Ashley-chan were Pairs for about two years before they had to leave."

"Two years? That's plenty of time."

The talk about people needing to leave was getting me depressed. Ashley had taken things much less intensely than Adriana had. Just one day during the morning briefing she was gone. I hadn't even realized she had been fired at first. I had assumed she had just caught a summer cold. I had gone to visit her room to wish her well when her roommate told me the news.

I wondered if the same would ever happen to me. Was there some unknown timer for Singles where we needed to become Primas before we got kicked out? With the traghetto and the tours I knew we were paying our way in the company so I doubted it. That was a relief. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I couldn't be an Undine. I was sure I would end up doing something with gondolas and the water, though.

"So what am I supposed to be doing now?" Lexy asked.

I looked around the room. Lexy had completed her unpacking, and her room looked as clean and orderly as it had been during those months I lived by myself. It was a far cry from how it had looked under Adriana's care.

As the senior Undine, it fell to me to help Lexy. I was overwhelmed with the responsibility. It was so different to be on the other side of the relationship. I felt that I should have known what Lexy should do, but I didn't.

"Normally we would be practicing, but since your new here I don't know." What I did know was that her Prima would know what she should be doing. Ariel always felt so collected. Then again, Athena both looked and felt lost most of the time, so maybe her Prima wouldn't be able to help. Regardless, putting Lexy in contact couldn't be a bad idea. "Do you know who your Prima is?"

"No. How do I find out?"

I tried to think back when I had first joined Orange Planet. How had I known that Ariel was my Prima? I couldn't remember. However, I had learned a lot during my time here, including the massive amount of process and paperwork of the company. It was annoying, but it likewise meant that there was some semblance of consistency in the system. It was a good bet that one of those sheets in the mess of papers Lexy had been given contained the answer to the question.

"I think it's on one of those forms. Mind if I take a look?"

"Those?" Lexy pointed at the stack of papers neatly lined up on the corner of her bed. "Sure, I guess."

I walked over and started flipping through the sheets one at a time.

The top of the second page already caught my attention. It was addressed to a Alexis Medeci. I asked, "Your name is Alexis?"

"Ugh. Don't call me that. Only my mom calls me Alexis."

"Okay," I said. So it would seem that the trend of Undines only being named with an "A" sound continued. But Lexy didn't go by that name. It added an extra nuance to the pattern.

Further down on that same page, I saw the detail I had been looking for. "There it is. Right here. It says your Prima is Ariel-sempai. Ahh... that's the same as me. That's no good. She's out giving a tour right now." Then again, most of the Prima were probably out giving a tour. I should have thought of that to begin with.

"Then what should I do?" Lexy looked at me with a casual askance.

"I don't know." I was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, I didn't want to leave this new person alone. On the other hand, I had my own tour to prepare for tomorrow. In the hour I had worked I had sketched out a rough plan, but there were all the details of each site to review. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

In the end, it wasn't even close. Ignoring Lexy was just not possible. Planning the perfect tour was important, but people were always more important.

I stood up and left my maps and guides and plans behind. I could revisit them in the afternoon. "Let's go. I can show you around the building."

We stepped out into the hallway, Lexy following just behind me. The brilliant sunlight streamed through the large windows in the halls. Long gone were the dark days of winter. The air conditioning of Orange Planet kept everything an even temperature, but the windows filtered little as it let in the proud summer sun. The light brought out every nuanced shade of the thick carpeting and wide corridor.

"Why don't I show you the cafeteria, first? I could use some lunch," I suggested.

Lexy agreed.

It was the same path I had taken hundreds and hundreds of times. The presence of Lexy made all the difference. I found myself seeing everything in a new way through a new pair of eyes. Things I had come to take for granted were once again filled with a wondrous confusion. I was sure the same thing would happen in Neo Venezia with tours. It was yet another reason why being a tour guide was a dream job. I had enjoyed, and still enjoyed, discovering every little bit of Neo Venezia. I loved the idea of experiencing the same wonder every day, of being able to enjoy the spectacular Canal Grande and Doge's Palace and St. Marco Square and everything else anew countless times.

"Hello, Undine-chan," a voice called out. That could have been addressing almost anybody in Orange Planet. The voice was what gave away that it was the gardener and he was talking to me, even if we weren't that close to the outdoor courtyard garden.

I turned to see the familiar sprightly old man walking behind us. He was carrying a pail in one hand with various tools piled in it. His other arm had a large rake. It was tucked into the crock of his elbow and held over his shoulder like a sentry's gun. He was catching up to us at a brisk pace, undoubtedly as eager to attend to his work as I was to attend to mine. He had a new bed of carnations to attend to.

The gardener still slowed down as he approached. He asked, "Who's that?"

"Let me introduce you. This is Lexy-chan. She's a new Undine, and my new roommate. And this is..." I hesitated. I had never actually learned the gardener's name. He was always just the kindly old man who tended the garden. Then again, I wasn't sure he had ever learned my name, either.

"Alfred," he interjected. "It's nice to meet you," the gardener said. His arms were full but he still lifted his pail in acknowledgement.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lexy said. She gave a greeting bow in return.

"Alfred-san is the gardener. Orange Planet has this big courtyard with all sorts of stuff growing in it. We're going to pass by it."

"Where are you off to?" Alfred asked.

"I'm showing Lexy-chan around. I thought we would go to the training harbor, and the cafeteria, and the mail room."

"Not the swimming pool?" Alfred asked.

"We have a swimming pool?" I asked. I hadn't known that.

"Of course we do," Alfred said.

"How long worked here, Akari-sempai?"

It felt weird to be called sempai.

I had to be careful in doing my mental calculations. "About a year now," I said. It felt much longer than a year because it had in fact been much longer. It had been more than twice as long, as compared to using the Manhome calendar. We were on Aqua, so using the Aqua calendar seemed more appropriate.

The gardener gave out a laugh. It was a squeaky laugh which lived entirely in his nose. It would have been enough to make me giggle back, if I hadn't been the subject of his humor.

"Of course there's a pool. It's one of the big perks of working at Orange Planet."

"Everybody knows about it, Akari-sempai."

"Hohee..." Everybody hadn't included me. I guess it was one of those things that everybody who grew up in Neo Venezia knew, so nobody ever bothered to talk about. For me the big draw of Orange Planet was the opportunity to be an Undine. It was the only opportunity somebody from Manhome could find. However, if I had known about the pool, I definitely would have gone a few times over the year. "Where is it?"

"It's on the third floor, near the harbor."

We had reached the garden while we talked. The exposed long corridor let in plenty of light, and it taxed the advanced and carefully designed climate control system of Orange Planet. It was always a bit cooler here in the winter and a bit warmer in the summer. Considering it had no glass windows and was openly exposed to the elements, it was impressive that there was such a modest difference in temperature. The light summer uniforms that Lexy and I wore ensured that the temperature change was merely noticeably different rather than being outright uncomfortable.

The presence of Lexy made all the difference for me on this visit. I saw the garden in a whole new light through a new pair of eyes. I could feel what was going through her head as she saw the display in front of her for the first time. The vivid flowers against the backdrop of green leaves and blue water. The rows of plants, lovingly placed and cultivated. It was a world as prestigious as any of the gardens which dotted Neo Venezia, put on display in homage to the aristocratic wives of historic Venice. It was a layout as precise as any of the ones on display on Manhome, carefully calculated for maximum effect. It was like seeing it for the first time all over again.

"Do you want to go outside and take a look?" I asked.

"Not really. It's hot out there," Lexy said.

I was disappointed. Apparently I got more out of seeing Alfred's garden than Lexy herself did. However, this tour of Orange Planet was for Lexy's benefit, not for mine. If she didn't want to see more, it was her prerogative as the customer.

We bid out farewells to Alfred. He went out into the blazing heat to continue his endless privilege of manicuring the living display. Meanwhile, Lexi and I pressed onward to the port. Maybe we could find this swimming pool that Alfred and Lexy herself had both mentioned.

The journey to the heart of Orange Planet continued. It was the heart because the entire company was built around the gondolas and the Undine who row them for customers. The harbor was the central point of the entire company, with the waterways and hallways connecting outward like arteries, along which flowed the gondolas and Undine to wherever they needed to go.

"I know you lived in Neo Venezia. Did you grow up here?" I asked. The carpets we traversed were as thick and grand as ever. In the winter, the warm colors and velveted feel kept everything cozy against the frosty air outside. It would have given the feeling of warmth even without the powerful heating system keeping everything inside a comfortable temperature. In the midst of summer the effect was changed to instead give the impression of homeyness despite the blazing sun outside.

"No. I grew up in Tuce. I only moved here a few years ago."

"Tuce? I've never heard of it before."

"I'm not surprised. It's a tiny city on the other side of Aqua. It's terrible. Nothing ever happens there."

"Hahii?" I don't think I had ever met somebody who didn't like the place in which they grown up.

"I'm glad we left. I only wish it could have been sooner. I always knew I wasn't going to stay there forever. I was destined to go somewhere bigger."

"So you were happy to come to Neo Venezia?.

"Kind of. It's better than Tuce, but not by that much. I want to move to Manhome."

I added Lexi to the list of people who wanted to move to Manhome. I had met a number of them in Neo Venezia, especially inside Orange Planet. I had certainly met more of them than the number of people on Manhome who wanted to move to Aqua. I said, "I grew up on Manhome."

"You did? I'm so envious." Lexy's voice took on an aerated, wistful twist. "What's it like? Is everything I heard about it true?"

I had been asked that question countless times. It was one of the questions people always asked me whenever they found out I was from Manhome. I didn't really see what the fascination was. Everything on Manhome was pristine and perfect. It was exactly what they were picturing.

"Manhome is as different as you think, but in different ways than you think. Everything on Manhome is really organized and clean and ideal. You always know what to expect. Dinner is cooked precisely the best way each time. They make sure the summers are mild. It always snows on Christmas. Everything there is much faster and runs perfectly."

On the other hand, I still preferred Neo Venezia despite that. Manhome had no long sandy beaches to walk through with the sand squishing between my toes. No surprise nip of coldness in the morning. No delightful bit of overcooked cheese crunching on the edge of a plate of pasta. No little nuances of imperfection which made everything in Neo Venezia feel genuine.

Lexi still had a look of dazzling wonder as we entered the harbor.

The first thing I showed Lexi was where the oars hung from the ceiling, all lined up in order. I then showed her where the gondolas were organized equally rigidly, and where the schedule board that showed where everybody should be on each day. Lexi remained fairly quiet throughout the brief tour, only exchanging a couple of words during my introductions with the old man who oversaw the harbor. He had returned from his trip to Manhome. I would need to catch up with how it had been another time, when I wouldn't force Lexi to wait for me as we talked.

After that we went off in search of that pool. It was a surprisingly confusing task. The lush carpeting and expansive halls all reflected the same vivid oranges and reds. I found myself turned around and confused as to which way was what. I somehow ended up lost inside Orange Planet. On my own it would have been embarrassing enough, but it was mortifying to have my new junior in tow behind me as it happened.

I was saved by a passing Pair who was able to escort us there.

The pool was as impressive as I had imagined. Orange Planet didn't do things by half measures. The room was huge. It was bigger than the garden and bigger than the cafeteria. There was a wide rectangular stone-lined pool, filled deeply with water. The water was surrounded by a beige tiled floor, which connected it to the warm murals of Neo Venezia on the walls. It looked like the middle of a campo, with a fountain on the one end and the skyline showing St Mark's Campanile on the other.

The surface of the water was perpetually churning with tiny ripples despite the fact that nobody was actually in it. It was a tragic waste. Such a magnificent body of water and nobody to enjoy it. That nobody included me. I hadn't brought a swimsuit on this trip.

That didn't stop me from kneeling next to the edge and stroking my hand through the water. The wake of my passage drifted outward, merging and quickly becoming lost in the countless other ripples throughout pool. The cool water cupped in my hand stood in pleasant contrast to the muggy feeling which suffused the air. It wasn't nearly as hot as outside, and the air felt more clammy rather than suffocating near the water. Somehow the clear distinctly wet feeling in my hand was less moist than the humidity all around me.

"It makes you want to jump right in, doesn't it?" I asked.

Lexi gave an indistinct noise of agreement.

I would definitely need to come back later. I had found the large bathhouse inside Orange Planet, but this was completely different.

Leaving the pool was much easier than finding it. There was the easy point of reference to be found just outside the room. I saw an unmistakably unique painting on the wall which depicted a pair of people running along the canals, and everything else quickly snapped into place. It made it so easy that I wasn't sure how I had gotten lost in the first place, and I resumed showing Lexi around Orange Planet.

After I showed Lexi the mail room, the Human Resources and Accounting areas, the grand entrance and its huge map of Neo Venezia, and the visitor gift store, it was only three short steps to cross the door and head out into city proper. It somehow felt natural to explain the entire area, not merely the content within the building itself.

By this point it was long after noon. However, the gently arced shadows from the walls and trees provided scant protection against the sweltering heat. The air felt like a physical force, turning from a hot jolt into a sweaty mass in minutes. One thing I adored about Neo Venezia was how each of the seasons had its own distinct personality. The leaves dancing in the wind in the fall, the blanket of snow covering the city like it was trying to snuggle for warmth in the winter, and the hot humidity searching for a cooling wisp of air in the summer.

We continued around, and I introduced Lexi to many of the people in the area. I showed her the shopping areas and the restaurants and the nearby tourist spots.

It was just before dinner when we returned to Orange Planet. The tour naturally concluded at the cafeteria with a well-earned meal. Overall, it was a day well spent. Lexi seemed satisfied, and I had had a great deal of fun as well. The only problem was that I hadn't prepared at all for my upcoming tour of Neo Venezia. I would need to spend a late night preparing for it, but I was so excited that I doubted I would have been able to get any sleep anyway.

* * *

The bubbling excitement which had driven me to stay up studying and planning, and which had subsequently found me lying in bed with open eyes and active mind, had continued to grow. Despite my fitful night, I was still wide awake as Ariel went through her morning introduction of the new Pair in her group.

"Alexis-chan," Ariel started.

It took me a second to realize whom Ariel had been addressing. Lexi's correction came much more quickly.

"Lexi, please. I hate the name Alexis."

I already had mentally associated the spirited girl with the name Lexi, rather than the much more traditional name of Alexis which she disliked so much. To have her given name annoy her so much must have been a source of constant irritation. I was lucky in that regard. Thus far nobody had ever given me a nickname or called me anything which especially annoyed me.

"Very well. Lexi-chan. As you're new here, let's start with some introductions. My name is Ariel. I'm going to be your Prima and teach you everything you need to know about being an Undine," Ariel said.

"I'm April."

"I'm Akari," I said, just for the sake of completeness.

"Now normally I would ask you to show off what you already know, but Akari-chan and I have an early morning appointment so that will need to wait until tomorrow. April-chan, work with Lexi-chan and show her around," Ariel said.

"Okay."

"As for you, Akari-chan, we have a customer this morning."

"Hahii!" My enthusiasm made my response come out closer to a shout than a simple acknowledgment. It was enough to turn a few heads in the area.

I was prepared for the babble of excited murmurs and questions. None came. I guess my own excitement was not nearly as contagious as I felt it was. The brief exclamation from yesterday had been enough to satisfy April, and Lexi was either unaware of the situation or uninterested in finding out more.

"Okay, that's it then. April-chan, Lexi-chan, you know what to do. Akari-chan, let's go. We mustn't keep the customer waiting."

We all agreed and the group broke apart, albeit only in a literal sense. All four of us ended up walking to the same lines of black gondolas. The pristine white ones were kept in a separate area and reserved only for Primas.

April and Lexi took one of the well-familiar practice gondolas and brought it to the equally familiar practice harbor. Ariel and I also took one of the well-familiar practice gondolas and brought it to the equally familiar practice harbor, but then I started rowing it along a very unfamiliar canal to the customer entrance.

"Do you know anything about my customer?" I asked as I rowed. Ariel had taken a seat in the front of the gondola facing me.

"Not really. It's probably somebody you know. I'm guessing they asked for you specifically. The company even went to the trouble of rearranging both your and my schedule," Ariel said.

That didn't really help me narrow things down. I knew a lot of people in Neo Venezia, not to mention from back on Manhome. Paradoxically, the thought that it was somebody I personally knew made me both more nervous and less nervous. It was a comfort because this customer would be more understanding of my newness, but it was also an extra stress because I didn't want to disappoint whoever had requested me.

"It doesn't really matter. Every customer is a customer," Ariel continued saying.

"Hahii."

The whole experience was a whirl of sensations. Everything had a feeling of familiarity, but it was tinged with a completely different sensation. The weight of Ariel in her seat, which lowered how far the boat sat in the water and made it bite slightly more firmly as it move forward. The brightly lit dock as seen from the water instead of the shore, reflecting both the lamplight and fragments of sunlight. Most of all, the fluttering anticipation of my first real-life customer. It made me feel giddy.

The echoes of my rowing bounced off of the walls and surrounded me as I moved through the short passage to the customer reception harbor. It created a feeling of timelessness. It passed by in a moment. It passed by after an eternity. Our only company was my shadows cast against the wall which escorted me through to the bright and inviting reception area.

"Where should I go?" I asked. This was the first time I had had to meet a customer from this angle. The multiple docks of the area confused me.

"Just stop over there." Ariel pointed to the nearest station. "One of the Pairs will recognize us and bring out the guest."

"Hahii."

I maneuvered the gondola to be adjacent to the dock and slowed down. There was a light tap as the boat settled in. It was far better than the jarring harsh thunk of the uncontrolled stop that I would have had a year earlier.

Just as Ariel promised, a pair of women approached. But it had to have been a coincidence. Both were wearing the spotless white dresses of Undine uniforms. One had the long familiar yellow of Orange Planet, while the other had a gentle blue. I probably would have remembered which company it was eventually, but the fact that the uniform was worn by Alicia made that bit of trivia a moot point. Everybody knew of the legendary Snow White. She was the only employee of Aria Company, which made identification of the company simple. I wondered what she was doing visiting us. We were competitors and rival companies, even if Orange Planet was so much larger than the single-person Aria Company.

They kept walking towards me. It was enough to get me to turn around and look behind to make sure there was nobody was there. There was only the quiet water and masonry.

"Here we are, madam. This is Akari Mizunashi. She will be your Undine today," the Pair walking with Alicia said. The Pair had a wooden face with a forced smile.

"Hahii?" She was my booked customer? My mind froze at the thought. I couldn't believe it.

"Alicia-san? Alicia-san, what are you doing here?" Ariel asked. She quickly turned back to me with wide eyes. "Akari-chan, this is Alicia-san. She's one of the Three Water Fairies."

"Ara, ara."

"Alicia-san? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Ara. I wanted to take a tour with you."

"Wait, you know Akari-chan already? You're our customer? Don't just stand there, help her in, Akari-chan."

"Hahii." I snapped to it, matching Ariel's increased speed and urgency. I stepped over to straddle the shore. It was made easier with Ariel's presence in the gondola. Her extra mass made the gondola that much less reactive to my shifting weight. I used my feet to brace the gondola and hold it steady. I then held my hand out and said, "Welcome. Please take my hand."

Alicia gently took my uncovered hand. She had a feather-light touch as she stepped into the gondola. I barely felt the boat shift. I might have missed it if I hadn't been carefully watching her motions, as the standard precaution for helping a guest onto the gondola dictated. Her movement was even more deft than Ariel when she had drilled me over and over for practice. I was sure Alicia had no real need for my help and was just humoring me.

Once Alicia had seated herself in the padded seat in front of me, across from Ariel who remained seated near the front facing backwards towards me and Alicia, I eased the gondola away from the dock and started making my way out into Neo Venezia. I pushed the gondola through the water with the solid weight of three people. Alicia's added presence changed the gondola's handling as substantially as Ariel's presence changed it as compared to my practice with Aria. It added a pleasant extra heft to everything. The water felt even more firmer as I pressed against it. The boat was even more lehargic in responding to my motions. The lapping of water was heard rather than felt. It was nowhere near the stoic feeling of the traghetto and its throng of passengers which needed two Undines to row, but it wasn't like rowing the gondola on my own, a leaf floating in the waves.

"Madam, is there anything in particular you wanted to see?" Alicia must have known everything from the tour books and more, and I was sure she knew everything in Neo Venezia much better than I did. The only reason she would be asking for a tour was if there was something specific she wanted from it. I had put in a lot of time into planning the previous night, but the tour was for the customer, not for me.

"Whatever you want to show me is good, Akari-chan."

"Hahii." I was a bit surprised, but it was a relief as well. It would appear that I could continue my route as originally planned.

The light of the sun brightened as we drew closer and closer to the exit, but the scattered reflections against the water were still no match for the full Salamander-enhanced sunlight that struck when I exited the tunnel. I emerged into the hot summer day. The humid heat which was I had so longed for back in the middle of winter engulfed us all, melting away any lingering chills from the air-conditioned Orange Planet.

I only had one path I could take until I reached the fork in the canal just outside of Orange Planet. It was only there that I could begin the tour in earnest.

"Madam customer. If you'll direct your attention to the right." Along the way to St. Marco Square, I slowed and stopped, then nudged the gondola into position. It wasn't a big site well known across all of the tourist books, or indeed something I expected other Undines to even know at all. We were facing what appeared to be a plain wall. It had a weathered patina which hinted at the long history it had seen throughout the years, but it was otherwise unremarkable.

"What's here, Akari-chan?" Ariel asked.

"If you will just be patient for a minute." I knew what was going to happen. I had seen it enough times, but I was still nervous. It would have been just my luck that this would be the first time in months that the fountain hidden in the park behind the wall was not turned on. I hadn't actually checked it the day before, and it was entirely possible it was undergoing maintenance or something had gone wrong. The time ticked by interminably slowly, and I did my best to keep an image of confidence.

3... 2... 1... and nothing. My heart fell. I would apparently be looking foolish on my very first tour ever. I hoped it wouldn't hurt my future too much. Singles, especially new Singles, couldn't be held to the same standards as Primas were. We were still in training, which is why our tours were so much less expensive.

And then the fountain sprang to life. It wasn't choreographed as such. From what I could tell, this particular fountain just had fits and spurts as it started up in the morning. It juggled itself awake, flinging water up and then out and then up again as it tried to build up the right amount of water pressure. As it did so, it incidentally sprayed water in a fantastic manner everywhere, which created a brilliant unplanned show. The fine mists of water sparkled in the air and caught the sunlight, scattering it into a magnificent rainbow all across the sky.

"Behind this wall is a campo with a big fountain. They turn it on every day at this time," I explained to both Ariel and Alicia. Meanwhile a flock of birds fluttered down, frolicking through the cool spray which had appeared. "I like watching the rainbows that show up. It's like they come out to greet the birds every morning. There are campos like this all around the city. They're like little squares where houses and shops gather, and they make little places where people can meet."

"That's nice, Akari-chan, but I'm sure our customer is more interested in getting to see something like St. Marco Square," Ariel said.

"Hahii." I couldn't really see Alicia's face, but Ariel was sitting towards both of us. She looked impatient, so I hurried on to the next stop of my route.

Along the way to St. Marco Square, we passed by the house of the man who was making a scale model of Neo Venezia. I was tempted to stop and show it to Alicia, but a glance towards Ariel made me change my mind. I instead limited myself to merely slowing down a bit as we passed by and mentioning the project to Alicia. The man who was working on it heard my voice and poked his head out, and we exchanged a couple of words. That was when I learned that Alicia already knew him too. I guess it was lucky that Ariel had chided me to move on faster.

I arrived at St. Marco Square. It was full of people. It was full of excitement. The day was still warming up, and residents and tourists alike were taking advantage of the remaining morning temperance before the afternoon heat truly arrived in force.

My explanations began with a description of the stately Doge's Palace, and the grand spaceport, and the unmissable St. Marco Campanile, and the quaint historical cafe, and the ornate St. Marco's basilica. I mentioned the Piazzetta around the corner, and the entire history of how the Plaza had been recreated from the sunken original in Venice on Manhome. I got a bit carried away, interspersing the descriptions which would be found in a tour book with my own personal experiences. I recommend the coffee at the old man's cafe, and mused about the Sylphs as they danced through the sky both to and from their nearby office.

It was a natural jump for me to move on to talking about the nearby Bridge of Sighs, its dark prison history, and the more romantic modern change to it in Neo Venezia. I talked about the local legend of how if two lovers kissed at sunset on a gondola while the bells of St. Marco Campanile rang they would be granted eternal love and bliss. I couldn't tell how Ariel felt about me adding in this extra little trivia, but Alicia seemed to find it endearing.

The next place on my agenda was the Canal Grande. As I rowed, I kept thinking about what to say next. There was a set of low bridges to the side, which I had planned on mentioning as some fun trivia about how the tides affected the life of an Undine and of the city. Before I could do so, though, Alicia turned back to me and asked, "Athena-chan told me you were originally from Manhome. What do you think of Neo Venezia?"

I didn't even need to think of an answer. I gave a variation of the same answer which I had given Lexy, and which I had given to everybody else.

Alicia then took the question a different direction. "And you enjoy being an Undine?"

"Hahii." I nodded emphatically without hesitation. "It's so peaceful. You can really feel the different faces of Neo Venezia, and take the time to really meet people here. I like being able to help out all these tourists find their own Neo Venezia. This city has so much to see. I want to make sure everybody can get everything the city has to offer."

"Ara, ara."

We had reached the Canal Grande by this point. The canal was busy with residents going to and fro, both along its side as well as over its four bridges. The daily traffic of mail and goods and everything else was substantial on its own, and the crowd was made all the larger by the tourists with their cameras and brochures. There were even more tourists traveling along the water in covered boats powered by motors.

I expected to see more of those large sheltered boats as the summer grew. It was a very different canal as compared to when sunlight kissed your face at the first warmth of spring, or compared to when the gentle autumn breeze which blew through the clear air. It took all my skill to avoid the traffic as I continued my explanation of the oldest and most significant bridge, the Rialto Bridge.

The tour time was nearing an end. I turned the gondola through one of the side passages and started making my way back to Orange Planet. I made it a point to cross near the Fenice Theater, and I told Alicia and Ariel about how it had been reborn time and again again, most recently in Neo Venezia. Ariel's expectant look made me think that I was missing something, and I belatedly realized what it was as I started to row away. I added in that they had some shows later in the day, and I offered to assist Alicia with booking tickets. Ariel nodded slightly in response.

The trip back to Orange Planet went well. The importance of punctuality had been emphasized to me multiple times. Ariel's frequent stern looks were not needed to remind me to not dally. I did take the opportunity when passing by one of my favorite home gardens to point it out to Alicia, but I otherwise didn't delay in my return.

We arrived just in time to be on schedule. It was a major relief. I had been worried that I would be late due to my slow speed, and I was sure somebody as prominent as Alicia was very busy. I had increased my rowing pace over the year in Neo Venezia as compared to the slowness I had had when I first arrived. It could now be described as being more deliberate than anything, even if I felt like the end of my tour was far more rushed than I would have liked. It was the kind of thing which could only be improved with more practice.

I approached the dock. My approach was less deft than my maneuvering earlier in the morning had been. I still wasn't accustomed to rowing with two passengers and I misjudged my speed. We slowed a bit too much a bit too far from the dock, and I had to do some frantic extra rowing to safely reach the shore.

"Alicia-chan. Good morning." Athena's vacuous greeting was enough to draw attention to her presence. Not that she needed it. The presence of Siren was as unmissable as Snow White's earlier entrance had been. There was a slight aura of space around her into which nobody would dare enter. This also coincidentally gave me plenty of room to take the half step ashore to brace the gondola and help the customer back onto land.

"Ara, ara. Good morning, Athena-chan." Alicia took my hand when disembarking just as lightly as she had boarded the gondola.

Ariel stepped ashore as well. She didn't bother taking my hand. I could feel the boat shudder slightly as she disembarked. Her departure left me as the only one still keeping the gondola under control.

"Well, then. Thank you very much for your business. I hope you will visit Orange Planet again," I said, giving the expected closing statements to Alicia. I bowed to her out of respect more than out of company enforced etiquette.

"Thank you Akari-chan. I had a wonderful time."

"Hahii." I felt my face flush with embarrassment in response to the high complement from Snow White. "Thank you very much."

"Ariel-san. Do you have a minute to talk about something?" Alicia asked.

"Sure?" Ariel answered. She walked away, accompanying Alicia and Athena back into the main building of Orange Planet.

It was over. My first tour. My very first tour with a paying customer. Not only that. With the legendary Alicia. Who had said she had had a wonderful time. I felt the glow of accomplishment in my chest.

My morning tour had been the only special thing planned for me. The rest of my day was basically free. I was free to do whatever I wanted. In this case, that meant practice. I was happy with how the tour had turned out, but even so I had felt rushed at the end. Everything took so much more time in person than it did when I was hunched over a paper map. There was so much to see and so much to do. This applied both to the big sites I planned to see as well as to the little things I passed by serendipitously along the way. I was disappointed I wasn't able to discuss more of them as I went.

I noted the time on the clock and pushed off again. I was going to repeat the tour I had just given and see if I could do a better job with time management. I would need to spend less time in the beginning, more time at the end, and do more talking as I rowed. Maybe I could talk a bit about things as I approached a place to fill some of the quiet moments and let the customer know in advance what to look out for.

The gondola leaped forward in response to my push. It drifted far more freely then it had when it had been weighed down by Alicia and Ariel's presence. It spun easier with all of the weight concentrated underneath my feet, and it was more susceptible to the whims of the current I traveled through.

"Mister customer," I said to the imaginary man sitting in the customer's chair, "we will be starting the tour by going to the St. Marco Square. St. Marco Square is the largest public square in Neo Venezia, but it is far from the only one. You'll notice as we travel through the city that there will be lots of smaller ones, called campo. These serve as gathering places for people to meet and for events, like markets and festivals."

And I noticed I was already behind where I wanted to be. I tried to push myself faster. But then I slowed down again when I noticed the gondola was bouncing around more than it should. I had to strike a balance as I went.

The imaginary tour continued very much like the tour with Alicia had earlier. The fountain was still running so there was no water show there, but instead I took a small detour to show the memorial wall commemorating the pioneers of Neo Venezia, and to talk about how water had been brought to the previously dry planet of Mars. St. Marco Square, in deference to the rising heat, was much more sedate than earlier in the day. In contrast, the Canal Grande had sped up in defiance to it. It required far more work to keep the lighter gondola still against the increased size and number of waves there.

I pushed myself to go a bit faster as I went around the Fenice Theater. I wasn't moving as fast as when I had visited earlier, when Alicia and Ariel had been listening to my every word. I completed that site and then returned back to Orange Planet. I was a bit late. Even so, I thought that this trip was more balanced than my first one had been. I reflected on how things had gone before pushing off to repeat the circuit again.

The third attempt at the tour went even better than the second one had. I didn't like at all how it felt, though. I was entirely too rushed throughout the whole time. Maybe if I could row faster it would be okay. But for now, my best option was to change the route. Maybe I would skip the Fenice Theater on this route. It would be sad, but it would allow me more time to show the House of Despair, with its wall of blue stone mosaicking out as if a spider had tried to capture the entire sky.

When I returned back to Orange Planet the third time, I was greeted by an unexpected sight. Ariel was waiting for me, along with Athena and Alicia. I didn't know what to think about this. Neither did any of the other Undine around the dock. They stood around watching, giving the trio a wide berth out of respect of the aura of unapproachability which was even larger than Athena's had been earlier.

As I drew near, I could make out their features more and more. Athena had that strange look of sharp clarity she sometimes got. This was in contrast with Alicia, who projected at atmosphere of calm serenity.

"Hey, Akari-chan. Please come over here," Ariel said as she beckoned over with an arm. It was not a friendly beckoning. She had some strange mixture of concern and resignation on her face, as emotionally intense as Athena and Alicia.

"Hahii." I shifted my gondola near to the dock. The maneuver was made long familiar from the months of practice, and there was no passengers to confuse the balance and handling of the boat. It was only half-way through that I remembered there were three Prima waiting for me and I tried to push myself to hurry.

"I really enjoyed my time with you earlier," Alicia said as I approached.

"Thank you very much."

"Would you be interested in switching companies and working with me in Aria Company?"

"Ha?" I asked. I must have misheard Alicia. For a second I had thought she had invited me to leave Orange Planet and to work with her. But that was obviously impossible.

"I'm looking for a protogee, and I would like it to be you. Athena-chan recommended you, and I agree," Alicia said. I could hear the words, but they drifted through my head in a haze. Everything had taken on the fuzzy unreality of a dream. "Aria Company is small, but I think I have a great deal to offer a Single. And I think you already know the company president."

A roaring sound blanketed my ears, whirling around and making it hard to hear anything. All around us, the indistinct background figures stopped and gasped and whispered. They were so disconnected from the three Prima in front of me, all of whom I could barely see anyway despite their close proximity. I couldn't even tell if those whispers were from Pairs, Singles, or Primas.

"Hahii?!" Confusion. Surprise. Shock. I turned to look at Ariel out of reflex. "But... but... but... I thought I couldn't leave Orange Planet."

"It's okay," Athena said. "I talked with management. You can do it if you want to."

"It's up to you," Ariel said. Heavy emotions danced across her face. "To tell you the truth, the chance to learn from one of the Three Water Fairies is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

That was an understatement. The skills of Snow White, like Siren and Crimson Rose, were legendary. I had seen how Alicia so effortlessly mastered even the choppiest and most crowded of corridors, and how Athena could still an entire plaza with the sound of her voice. I couldn't remember meeting Crimson Rose, but certainly Akira must have been at the same skill level. Being able to work with Alicia wouldn't just be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I could go multiple lifetimes and never get this kind of chance again.

But still there were problems to consider. "What about where I will live?" I earned some money as a Single, but it wasn't nearly enough to afford an apartment. That was one of the major perks which made my initial migration to Aqua possible. If Orange Planet wasn't providing housing, then I wasn't sure what I would have done.

Alicia's smiling face didn't so much as twitch in response. "Aria Company is a combined office and house. You can stay there. It won't be as extravagant as Orange Planet, but we have everything you need. There is a kitchen to cook in, and we have an extra room in the attic. It's where I used to stay when I was still a trainee."

I wasn't the happiest with Orange Planet's reams of processes and false faces put forward for the customer, but it was familiar. And the time on the water was everything I had imagined it being and more. This would be a leap into the unknown. It was terrifying and exciting all at once. I didn't know very much about Aria Company, but my past experiences with Alicia had certainly left a good impression on me.

"I... I want to do it," I said. Then with more conviction, "I want to move. Please take good care of me, Alicia-san." I bowed to her.

"Ara ara."

* * *

Things became a whirl of activity after my decision to switch companies. I couldn't even remember if I had put away my practice gondola. Before I knew it, I was in the Human Resources portion of Orange Planet and going through an exit interview with Aldo.

He had a series of form questions for me to answer, every bit as mechanical as everything else I had come to expect.

Why was I leaving?

Where was I going?

How much money would I be earning at the new place?

What did I think of Ariel?

If I could change anything in Orange Planet to make it a better place, what would I change?

I tried to answer as best I could. The only real reaction I could see from Aldo to any of my answers was when I mentioned I would be going to Aria Company. He interjected to verify that I meant Alicia, which I confirmed. After that the rest of the questions seemed much more perfunctory.

Once I had completed the exit interview I left the relatively foreign Human Resources wing. I rarely visited that area. The last time I had seen it was when I had been scolded for returning the gondola late for one of my unplanned practices. I emerged into the much more familiar and much more traveled general corridors. It was just as plush and just as opulent as when I had first joined Orange Planet. There was a new picture hanging on the wall depicting a family of cats lounging around. It was hard to imagine that this could be the last time I would be passing by these now familiar sights.

My room was the penultimate stop. I had to pack everything in preparation for the move. No, not everything. I was to leave the Orange Planet uniforms behind. I wanted to keep one, as a souvenir, but Aldo had been insistent. I was tempted to take one anyway, but I would never steal one. This uniform was the mark of Orange Planet, something I no longer was.

I instead changed my clothes. I put on some shorts and a light blouse. It was far from the Manhome fashion I had worn when I had first arrived. It was with some satisfaction that I noted I was dressed like a native of Neo Venezia.

Packing took a great deal more time than unpacking had. Over the past year I had acquired various odds and ends. New clothes. A bright mask from an actor in thanks for a favor rendered. A wind charm in memory of a festival. They overflowed my suitcase, and I needed to get some boxes to hold the surplus.

Lexi returned when I was nearing completion. My dresser was mostly empty, and it looked as if it wanted to deflate like an empty balloon.

"What's going on? You're moving?" Lexi asked.

"Hahii. I'm changing companies, to Aria Company."

Lexi gave out a whistle. Of course she would have known about Aria Company and Alicia. I think every native to Neo Venezia would. I wondered if that included me now. "I see. Good luck. Maybe you can find out if they have room for me too while you're there."

"Hahii."

"Do you need any help?"

I looked around at the stacks of boxes. "Hahii. Thank you."

Lexi grabbed one of the small but heavy containers, leaving me to try to pull up the remaining stack. Right before I tried, Alice spoke up from the door to the place which was soon to become the room I had once lived in.

"I heard you were going to be switching companies to Aria Company," Alice said.

"Hahii." I had confirmed

"That's huge news. Big congratulations to you," Alice said.

"Thank you. I hope we can keep practicing together," I said. It was one of the regrets I had for leaving Orange Planet. Outside of the traghetto, I didn't think I had ever seen anybody from two different companies practicing together. I hoped my transfer wouldn't ruin my friendship with Alice.

"I'm sure we can. Athena-sempai said so," Alice said.

Alice grabbed a bulky box, which let me carry the rest of my luggage in both of my arms. It was just low enough that my eyes could peek over the top of the stack.

The three of us walked out, the last time for me, and proceeded down to the visitor dock. Alice's and Lexy's assistance was an immense help. It let me bring everything down in one trip. Another person assisting would have been an immense help, but I was able to just manage the rest on my own.

Athena and Alicia were both there at the visitor's dock waiting for me. They stood by the gleaming white gondola which I could only assume Alicia had used to come to Orange Planet. When they saw me, Alicia walked over and relieved me of the top half of my burden. It was a good thing it was Alicia and not Athena. As sweet as Athena was, she was usually incredibly clumsy. I could imagine the box with all my books tumbling over into the crystal clear water of the port as Athena tottered for safe footing.

Athena held the boat steady as I first placed my things, then took the stack from Alicia and placed them on top, then took the boxes from Alice and Lexi and settled them in as well. I could feel the boat settling into the water as the weight piled in.

"Is that everything?"

"Hahii." I took a seat in the passenger area.

"Do you want to row?" Alicia asked.

"Haa?" My heart caught in my throat. It would be the first time I had ever piloted a glistening white gondola. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Ara ara. It's okay. Why don't you pilot us home."

I stood up again and moved to the back of the gondola. Alicia took my place where I had previously been sitting. I tentatively picked up the oar. It was the same as the practice oars I had used day after day, but it somehow felt sacred in my arms now.

"Have a nice trip," Athena said. Alice and Lexy echoed the same sentiment.

"I'm going," I announced. I then pushed off, leaving Orange Planet and leaving home once again.

I gingerly picked my way through the exit tunnel and through canals of Neo Venezia. The smooth pure paint of Alicia's gondola was spotless, and I could imagine the terrors of accidentally scuffing it on a rough stone walls. My progress was slow but steady. I picked my path with the confidence of a native. It was impossible to be ignorant of the location of Aria Company. It was famous for being the most profitable company by employee count, and for being the place where Snow White was the lone Undine.

It was the most gentle of cruises. The sights and smells and sounds I had long become familiar with surrounded me. The lapping of the water against the gondola. The heavenly smell of baking bread. The Sylphs flying this way and that through the air, occasionally calling out a greeting to me and Alicia. These had become as familiar as the map of the waterways, but that in no way diminished the pleasure. All of the things I had longed for back on Manhome had proved true, and moreover I had discovered more miracles here than I could have imagined.

"Hello." "Are you moving?" "You're switching companies?" The chorus of greetings and questions surrounded me as I rowed through the waterways. I hadn't realized how many wondrous encounters I had had throughout the year. It felt like every corner contained somebody else I had met would say hello to me. Some of them I merely knew by sight, while others were intimately familiar to me. All of them took notice. How could they not? The sight of anybody, especially a non-uniformed person, rowing Snow White must have been remarkable.

I emerged from the defined canals into a large port, and Aria Company came into view against the picturesque backdrop. The sun hung low on the horizon just off the side of the building, casting the whole area in a tangerine light. The building was a small two-story house, with the second floor being wider than the first. The pointed roof gave the building an appearance similar to that of a squat rocket. A spiral staircase lead from the dock to the second floor, ending at a small gate to prevent an accidental tumble down. A small sign hung beneath the second floor next to the drawn shutters which, when open, would welcome both the bay and any visitors to the place. It proudly proclaimed the building.

"ARIA COMPANY"

I pulled the gondola up to the dock, being as careful as I could to not bump against it. I then reached out with my arm and grabbed the palina before stepping off with one foot to brace the boat against drifting away. Alicia probably didn't need it. I couldn't even feel the shift as she stepped to the shore.

It was only once Alicia was firmly on land that I followed behind her to disembark as well.

"Welcome home," Alicia said.

It was incredible. It was overwhelming. It was many things.

I was now home.

* * *

Author's Notes:

That bittersweet moment when a story is completed. Each time it's a bit different, and a bit the same. It's both incredibly satisfying as well as a bit sad.

This story proved to be quite an interesting writing experience. It may be the first time I've written a story in which there is no plot as such, and no specific schedule or timer driving action. It is merely a slice of life style exploration of people and activities, not unlike Aria itself.

Creating an ending of this story was tricky, and in some ways obvious as well. I'm firmly of the opinion that stories should have a conclusion, and the lack of a plot made designing such a thing difficult. I can only really think of three potential ends. I can imagine Akari giving up being an Undine, I can imagine Akari becoming a Prima within Orange Planet, and I can imagine Akari leaving Orange Planet to join another company. Of those three, I felt like it was most appropriate for her to join Alicia, bringing this story somewhat in alignment to Aria canon and the world that President Aria sees.

I actually find it a bit sad that Aika and Akira didn't really make an appearance in this story. I tried to find a good excuse why the heir to Hime-ya would appear and be interested in Akari, but couldn't find a plausible reason. It may be for the best. I wanted Akari's change of venue in this alternative Neo Venezia to have real impacts, and if Aika were a regular character it may have been too similar to canon.

Thus the proverbial curtains close on the story of Akari of the Orange Planet. Regardless of what happens next, she is now Akari of the Aria Company. I'm sure it is only a matter of time before Akari meets Aika, and resumes her long journey to becoming a Prima. Regardless, this is where we take our leave.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Please come back again some day.

* * *

Last Updated: July 20, 2017


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